Court orders EFCC to arrest Abuja estate agent, Rebecca Omokamo
SKAiF NewsNG SNN
A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest and produce an Abuja-based estate agent, Mrs Rebecca Omokamo, in court to continue her trial for alleged land fraud, forgery and money laundering.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the order on Tuesday for the anti-graft agency to produce Omokamo in court after she failed to show up for the continuation of her criminal trial.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, Omokamo’s counsel, Christopher Oshomeghie, SAN, informed the court that EFCC operatives had laid siege on the home of his client for 23 days and that she has not been outdoors for all that period as she fears for her life.
The senior lawyer informed the court that the EFCC siege on Omokamo’s house was the reason for her absence.
In a short ruling, the trial judge ordered the EFCC to arrest and keep the defendant in their custody till Thursday, July 23, 2026, for the continuation of trial.
The other defendants in the suit are Homadil Realty Limited, Idakwogi Richard John and Rychado Homes Limited.
Only the third defendant, Richard John, the CEO of Rychado Homes Limited, was available in court at the resumed hearing.
Proceedings began with counsel for the prosecution, Benedict Ubi informing the court that the first defendant (Rebecca Omokamo) was in “self-imposed house arrest” sequel to the order of the court for an interim forfeiture of a disputed land.
The prosecutor said the defendant is obstructing officers of the EFCC from carrying out the order of the court.
Ubi accused Omokamo of breaching the terms of her administrative bail by traveling repeatedly out of jurisdiction.
In a counter-argument, counsel for the defendant noted that menacing, gun-wielding officers of the EFCC took over the property of his client in a 23-day siege.
He said Omokamo is in a very poor state of health for having to be indoor for that long.
The prosecutor interjected by clarifying that the defendant has the keys and that it was she who locked herself in her apartment and not the EFCC officers on enforcement duty.
Justice Abdulmalik ordered the anti-corruption agency to produce the defendant in court after her counsel confirmed that she had the keys to the apartment and not EFCC operatives.
Earlier in a related civil suit instituted by the EFCC, Justice Abdulmalik rebuked Oshomeghie for ‘pondering for the court’.
The trial judge took this position after the lawyer drew her attention to the continued siege on Omokamo’s client’s Guzape property by men of the EFCC.
He had sought clarity on the judge’s previous order for status quo antebellum to be maintained by contending parties and the alleged siege on the property by EFCC operatives.
The judge in response said, “When I make an order I go to sleep”, emphasizing that the lawyer cannot think for the court.
Earlier during the proceedings, Ubi had informed the court of a pending application for the final forfeiture of the disputed property. There was also a pending application by a party seeking to join the suit.
However, the court held that the application for joinder supercedes any other and that it will be accorded priority by the court at the moment.
The trial judge adjourned the suit till October 15 for hearing of all pending applications.
Rebecca Omokamo was arraigned in June 2025 before Justice Abdulmalik on multiple charges (two separate suits: FHC/ABJ/CR/76/2025 with 17 counts and FHC/ABJ/CR/77/2025 with 5 counts).
Co-defendants include her husband (Isaac Yusuf Ishaku), Homadil Realty Limited, Idakwogi Richard John, and Rychado Homes Limited.
The EFCC claimed the defendants fraudulently obtained over N500 million from victims between 2023–2024 by selling plots with forged documents (such as fake Power of Attorney), including Plot 4022 in Guzape and plots in Katampe.
The funds were allegedly laundered through company accounts.
Victims include a 79-year-old widow (Colleen Yesufu) and others; one witness (Abu Gambo) testified in July 2025 about losing N62 million on two Katampe plots whose titles later vanished from AGIS records.
Court orders EFCC to arrest Abuja estate agent, Rebecca Omokamo
