Tenants of Lekki facility accuse Greenbirch Limited of intimidation, harassment, breach of peace
By KEMI KASUMU
Eke further explained that, being a new company at the time, Greenbirch lacked the expertise to manage the facility and often relied on tenants for operational guidance.
Residents of 16 units of three-bedroom apartments located at 96B, Ladipo Omotesho Cole Street, Lekki Phase 1, previously rented to Greenbirch Limited, have accused the company of unlawful entry, theft, intimidation, harassment, threats to life, and breach of public peace, among other offenses.
The sub-tenants allege that it was shocking to discover that the apartments actually belong to RAO Investment Property Company Limited owned by the Okoya’s, which is currently in a legal tussle to recover the property from Greenbirch Limited. They claim that the company led by Mr. Lawrence Uwaoma Onwukwem, his partner Mr. Davies Isaiah Ijele, and staff members Mr. Sodiq Tayo Kazeem and Ms. Peace Chidinma Igbo has made life unbearable for them through acts of aggression and persistent harassment.
According to Mr. Odera Emeka Eke, who rented two units in August 2021, he carried out extensive renovations on the apartments, including replacing all sanitary wares, light fittings, kitchen cabinets, and ceilings with POP. These works were conducted in the presence of Greenbirch officials, who took custody of the old materials removed from the apartments.
Eke further explained that, being a new company at the time, Greenbirch lacked the expertise to manage the facility and often relied on tenants for operational guidance. “Certain agreements were reached regarding the power distribution and billing system. We purchased new electricity meters on the condition that Greenbirch would reimburse us, but that refund is still outstanding to date,” he said.
The sub-tenants also alleged that Greenbirch informed them of an outstanding electricity bill of over ₦20 million owed to EKEDC, purportedly arising from high power consumption from the water treatment plant. However, they later discovered that all were lies and that the bill stemmed from an illegal power bypass allegedly perpetrated by Greenbirch, which attracted a heavy penalty and arrears of EKEDC bill which Green Birch refused to remit though they had been collecting same from the sub-tenant. The sub-tenants had to contribute funds to offset the debt, while Greenbirch only paid ₦2 million, yet they were still required to sign an undertaking to EKEDC before reconnection was granted.
Following a court judgment in favour of RAO Investment Property Company Limited, owned by renowned industrialist Chief Razak Okoya CON, terminating Greenbirch’s tenancy and right of occupation, the sub-tenants believed their ordeal had ended. However, according to them, Greenbirch retaliated by disconnecting power and water supply, and deploying armed men to intimidate workers and residents within the facility.
“These actions forced us to petition the AIG, Zone 2 Police Command, over the illegal activities and harassment by Greenbirch’s armed agents,” Eke explained. “Rather than stop, the harassment intensified. They repeatedly disconnected our essential services, prevented reconnection, and recently, policemen from Area J have begun summoning tenants to the station under false pretenses. We have also been reliably informed that Greenbirch plans to remove the generator and decommission the water treatment plant in furtherance of their intimidation campaign. Our petition on this matter remains pending at the AIG’s office, Zone 2.”
Another set of sub-tenants, Mr. and Mrs. Olusola and Olufunmilola Alabi, who rented Block A, Flat 3 from Greenbirch in May 2021 for use as a short-let (Airbnb) business, narrated a similar experience. The couple alleged gross breach of tenancy agreement, stating that despite seeking redress in court, Greenbirch broke into their apartment, carted away properties valued at over ₦23 million, and re-let the apartment to another person.
“In a bid to cover up this illegality,” Mr. Alabi said, “Greenbirch petitioned the AIG, FCID Annex, Alagbon, falsely accusing my wife and I of fabricated crimes. Upon investigation by the Police X-Squad, it was established that it was in fact the tenant (Green Birch) and his associates who committed the offense of breaking and entry. Consequently, we filed our own petition dated November 12, 2024, to the AIG FCID Annex, formally reporting a case of breaking and entry/stealing against Green Birch and his partners.”
According to the couple, Greenbirch then escalated the matter to the DIG, FID Abuja, with another petition containing the same false allegations. However, the “Team J” Police Unit at FID Abuja dismissed the claims after investigation, reaffirming that the case against Greenbirch and its associates was criminal in nature. The Abuja investigation report was later forwarded to the Lagos Annex for prosecution, but the Alabis allege that some officers “stylishly shelved the report” and advised them to await the outcome of the civil case despite several confirmations that the matter was indeed criminal.
Upon receiving a new police invitation at Alagbon, Greenbirch and its associates filed a Fundamental Rights Enforcement Suit at the Lagos High Court, joining the Alabis, the Inspector General of Police, AIG Alagbon, AIG Zone 2, and several police officers, seeking an order to restrain their arrest and investigation.
One of the company’s staff members, Ms. Peace Chidinma Igbo, was eventually arrested and charged to court for failing to produce Mr. Sodiq Kazeem, another staff member for whom she had stood surety. She was remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Facility for several days before meeting her bail conditions. The matter is currently before the Oyingbo Magistrate Court, Lagos, under Charge No: BG/K/23/25/2025 Commissioner of Police v. Peace Chidinma Igbo. Meanwhile, Mr. Lawrence Onwukwem, Mr. Davies Ijele, and Mr. Sodiq Kazeem are said to have gone into hiding and have repeatedly failed to honour police invitations.
It should be recalled that Chief Razak CON and Chief Mrs. Shade Okoya MON recently debunked stories circulating in the media that Senator Domingo Obende sought to take over the said property as collateral for a $250,000 loan, describing such claims as fictitious, baseless, and maliciously intended to create confusion.
They also stated that Greenbirch sublet the apartments to 16 sub-tenants during its lease period but has since resorted to blackmail, harassment, and the deployment of fake armed policemen to the premises to intimidate lawful occupants, despite a subsisting court judgment against it. Mr Lawrence and his agents are attempting to coerce tenants into paying advance rents running into millions of naira for several years before RAO Investment Property Company Limited reclaims its property. A payment they have no legal right to collect, yet they are still owing the Okoyas the outstanding rent.
The Okoya family in their statement therefore warned members of the public not to lease or transact any property dealings with the aforementioned individuals, describing them as persons with no fixed address and no lawful authority over the property.
