Tension in Lekki as Residents Accuse Greenbirch Limited of Harassment, Intimidation, and Breach of Peace
There is growing tension in Lekki Phase 1 following allegations of harassment, intimidation, and breach of public peace leveled against Greenbirch Limited by residents of a 16-unit apartment complex located at 96B, Ladipo Omotesho Cole Street.
The residents, who identified themselves as sub-tenants, claim that officials of Greenbirch Limited — led by Mr. Lawrence Uwaoma Onwukwem, his partner Mr. Davies Isaiah Ijele, and staff members Mr. Sodiq Tayo Kazeem and Ms. Peace Chidinma Igbo — have allegedly subjected them to persistent intimidation, threats, and unlawful activities, despite a subsisting court judgment stripping the company of its tenancy rights over the property.
According to the residents, the property is legally owned by RAO Investment Property Company Limited, a firm associated with the Okoya family, and is currently at the center of a legal dispute with Greenbirch Limited over tenancy and management rights.
Residents Speak Out
One of the sub-tenants, Mr. Odera Emeka Eke, who rented two units in August 2021, alleged that he carried out major renovations on the apartments with the consent of Greenbirch’s officials, who even took possession of the old fittings.
“Greenbirch was a new company at the time and relied heavily on tenants for operational guidance,” Eke said. “We agreed to buy new electricity meters with the promise that the company would reimburse us, but they never did.”
Eke further alleged that Greenbirch claimed there was an outstanding ₦20 million electricity bill owed to Eko Electricity Distribution Company (EKEDC), supposedly due to power usage by the water treatment plant. The tenants later discovered that the huge debt resulted from an illegal power bypass allegedly perpetrated by Greenbirch — an act that attracted heavy penalties from EKEDC.
He explained that the tenants eventually pooled resources to offset the debt, while Greenbirch contributed only ₦2 million. “Even after we paid most of the bill, they still disconnected our light and water, using that as a tool of harassment,” Eke said.
Court Judgment and Renewed Harassment
Following a court ruling in favour of RAO Investment Property Company Limited, terminating Greenbirch’s tenancy, the sub-tenants said they expected peace to return. Instead, they alleged that Greenbirch retaliated by cutting off utilities and deploying armed men to the premises.
“These actions forced us to petition the AIG Zone 2 Police Command over the company’s unlawful activities,” Eke stated. “Despite that, the harassment continued, with Greenbirch blocking reconnections and using police operatives from Area J to intimidate us under false pretenses.”
Couple Allege Theft and Property Damage
Another set of tenants, Mr. and Mrs. Olusola and Olufunmilola Alabi, who rented an apartment in May 2021 for their Airbnb business, also accused Greenbirch of breaching their tenancy agreement.
The couple alleged that while their case was still pending in court, Greenbirch broke into their apartment, carted away items valued at over ₦23 million, and re-let the unit to another occupant.
“In a bid to cover up this illegality, they petitioned the police at the FCID Annex, Alagbon, falsely accusing us of crimes we didn’t commit,” Mr. Alabi explained. “The X-Squad investigation, however, confirmed that Greenbirch and its associates were the real culprits.”
According to them, the case was later escalated to the DIG, Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, where another investigation reaffirmed that the allegations against them were false. The report was sent back to Lagos for prosecution, but, according to the couple, “some officers at Alagbon shelved it, advising us to wait for the civil case.”
Court and Police Actions
In response to renewed police invitations, Greenbirch and its officials filed a Fundamental Rights Enforcement Suit at the Lagos High Court against the Alabis, the Inspector General of Police, and others, seeking to restrain their arrest or further investigation.
Meanwhile, Ms. Peace Chidinma Igbo, a Greenbirch staff member, was arrested and charged for failing to produce Mr. Sodiq Kazeem, whom she stood surety for. She was remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Facility before meeting bail conditions. The case, Commissioner of Police v. Peace Chidinma Igbo (Charge No: BG/K/23/25/2025), is currently before the Oyingbo Magistrate Court.
Reports indicate that Mr. Lawrence Onwukwem, Mr. Davies Ijele, and Mr. Sodiq Kazeem are currently at large and have failed to honour multiple police invitations.
Okoya Family Reacts
In a recent statement, Chief Razak Okoya, CON, and Chief (Mrs.) Shade Okoya, MON, debunked reports alleging that Senator Domingo Obende was attempting to take over the property as collateral for a $250,000 loan. They described the claims as false, malicious, and intended to mislead the public.
The Okoya family further accused Greenbirch of subletting the apartments to 16 tenants during its lease period and, following the court’s termination of its tenancy, resorting to blackmail, threats, and the deployment of armed men to harass lawful occupants.
They also warned members of the public against transacting any business with Lawrence Onwukwem, Davies Ijele, Sodiq Kazeem, or Peace Igbo, describing them as “persons of no fixed address and without lawful authority over the property.”
“No one should pay rent or make any financial commitment to them,” the family cautioned. “They are neither agents nor representatives of RAO Investment Property Company Limited.”
As the legal and criminal investigations continue, residents say they remain on edge, calling on the Lagos State Government and the Inspector General of Police to intervene and ensure their safety.
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