BY SUNDAY SAMUEL—Justice Mojisola Dada of the Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos, on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, convicted and sentenced a notorious fraudster, Emmanuel Nwude, and his two counsel, Emmanuel Ilechukwu and Rowland Kalu, to one year imprisonment each for forgery and dealing in forfeited property.
The convicts were arraigned on March 2, 2018 on an amended 15- count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery, uttering of false documents, dealing with forfeited property, attempt to pervert the cause of justice and fabricating evidence.
One of the counts reads: “Emmanuel Nwude, Emmanuel Ilechukwu and Rowland Kalu, between 2011-2012, at Lagos within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, without due authorization by the Commission, dealt with the property known as Plot Y Mobolaji Johnson Street, Oregun, Ikeja ,whereas you knew that the property was forfeited to the victims of crimes as restitution in the judgment delivered on 18th day of November,2005 by Hon. Justice Oyewole in ID/92C/04 – FRN vs. Emmanuel Nwude and 6 Ors and the victims subsequently sold the property to Rosaab Industrial Design Limited and which Rosaab Industrial Design Limited later assigned to G. C. Nweze and Company Limited.”
The defendants all pleaded “not guilty” to the charges preferred against them, thereby leading to their full trial.
During the trial, the prosecution counsel, Nnaemeka Omewa, called five witnesses and tendered several documents, which were admitted in evidence against the defendants by the court.
The prosecution subsequently closed its case on March 19, 2019.
Following the closure of the prosecution’s case, Nwude and his counsel filed a no-case submission.
The judge, in a ruling delivered on September 19, 2019, dismissed the application and ordered the defendants to enter their defence.
Rather than enter his defence, Nwude approached the Court of Appeal in Appeal No. CA/LAG/CR/1244/2019, challenging the ruling of the court.
The appellate court, however, dismissed the appeal and ordered him to open his case at the trial court.
Following the order of the appellate court, Nwude subsequently opened his case on February 22, 2021.
During the proceedings, he testified for himself and called three other witnesses before closing his case.
The second and third defendants, who are both lawyers to Nwude, also testified for themselves and, thereafter closed their case on February 27, 2025.
The court, thereafter, ordered the filing of final addresses by parties and adjourned the matter till June 25, 2025.
The defendants filed and served their final addresses at different times, with the third defendant serving his own response on the prosecution on June 20, 2025.
At the sitting on June 25, 2025, the court further adjourned the matter till September 25, 2025.
The prosecution filed its responses to the defendants’ final addresses separately and served same on all the defendants.
But in a dramatic twist, when the matter came up for adoption of final address on September 25, 2025, Dr. Babajide Martins, Director, Directorate of Public Prosecution(DPP), Lagos State, entered appearance in court and intimated the court that he had been instructed to take over proceedings of the matter based on a petition written to his office by the second defendant, Ilechukwu.
The judge, however, stated that the matter was for the adoption of final address and also inquired to know why he would want to take over a matter that had been almost concluded.
Martins, during the proceedings, could not give a definite answer.
The court, thereafter, adjourned till November 5, 2025 for the adoption of final address to enable the first defendant’s counsel file his reply on points of law to the prosecution’s final address.
