By Stephen Simon
An Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Ngozi Braide, has told the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja how a close friendship with a lawyer, Chinwe Onuoha, allegedly resulted in the alteration and loss of control of her property in Ikorodu, Lagos.
Braide gave the evidence before Justice Hakeem Oshodi while being led in evidence by the prosecutor, Emmanuel Jackson. Onuoha is facing a 12-count charge bordering on conspiracy, forgery and uttering of false documents, allegedly in connection with an attempt to obtain a loan from the Bank of Industry (BoI).
The prosecution alleged that Onuoha and other defendants, some of whom are said to be at large, conspired in 2020 to forge a lease agreement purportedly dated February 12, 2018. The prosecution further alleged that the document was presented to the BoI as part of a scheme to fraudulently secure a loan, to the detriment of Braide.
Testifying, Braide said she met Onuoha in 2011 and that their relationship developed into a close friendship. She told the court that Onuoha became so close to her family that she visited her home, stayed for days and sometimes travelled abroad with her and members of her family.
According to the witness, their relationship took a turn in 2019 after Onuoha contacted her following her arrest and detention at a police station in Ogun State. Braide said she intervened and secured her release before allowing her to temporarily occupy a four-bedroom property she owned in Ikorodu.
Braide said she had acquired the land in 2008 after returning from a peacekeeping operation in Liberia and subsequently built the house. She told the court that she initially agreed to let Onuoha stay for three months, but the arrangement extended to six months and eventually more than a year. She said she later asked Onuoha to vacate the property when she needed it for her younger brother and his family.
The witness said she visited the property in January 2022 with her driver and some elders and was shocked to find workers operating a factory known as “Shearwater Factory.” She alleged that walls and partitions had been removed and heavy-duty machines, wires and pipes installed, while some workers were also living on the premises. Justice Oshodi adjourned the case until November 10, 2026, for cross-examination of the witness.
