A forensic report released by the Nigerian Police has indicted an Abuja based legal practitioner, Abu Arome, 3 Ghanaians namely; Sam Jonah, Kojo Mensah and Victor Quainoo, over their alleged involvement in the forgery of company documents in a bid to illegally takeover Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd, and Jonah capital Nigeria Ltd.
Specifically, the Ghanaian nationals and their Nigerian accomplice, Abu Arome, are being accused of a sophisticated conspiracy to fraudulently assume ownership control of Jonah Capital Nigeria Ltd and its interests in Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd and River Park Estate.
In the ensuing property feud, which became the subject of a Police investigation, findings by the police forensic unit have shown that documents were forged by the suspects.
The forensic report, dated 29th November 2024, was signed by Elias Uzoemeka, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Forensic, for the Commissioner of Police Forensic, FCID, Abuja, and addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), FCID, Abuja.
In the report made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday, a total of 18 documents were critically examined, analyzed and signatures compared.
The police forensic report hinted that investigation centred on “a case of corporate fraud, conspiracy, misapplication of fund, criminal breach of trust, impersonation and forgery in which some documents were allegedly/signed by the Ghanaian nationals and their lawyer, Arome.
Subsequently, the Police Forensic department was requested to analyze, examine and compare signatures on relevant column of the documents marked A1-A4, and to state if the writer of the signatures on relevant column of the documents marked A1-A4 signed the signatures on the documents marked Y1-Y4.
Also, the police were asked to analyze and compare signatures on the column of documents marked as B1-B2 against X1-X8, and to state if the writer of the signatures on relevant column of the documents marked B1-B2 signed the signatures on the documents marked X1-X8.
Document A1 is the signature of Mr John Richard Townley Johnson, a South African, and Managing Director, Houses for Africa Holdings Inc.
A2 is a document showing resolution of General Meeting of House for Africa, held in 2009, under the signature of John Richard Townley Johnson.
Document Y1 is a “letter of resignation” dated January 14, 2014, purportedly written and signed by John Richard Townley Johnson, tendering his resignation as a Director of Jonah
Capital Nigeria Ltd.
Y2 is a document from Houses for Africa Holdings Inc. “relinquishing the 8,000,000 shares held by it in Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd back to the company…” under the signature of John Richard Townley Johnson, on behalf of Houses for Africa Holdings Inc.
Y3 is another document purportedly written and signed by John Richard Townley Johnson, to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Abuja, wherein he resigned his appointment as a Director in Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd.
Y4 is a document (Form CAC7), which showed “particulars of Directors or any change therein” for Houses for Africa Nigeria Ltd, signed by John Richard Townley Johnson.
After forensic examination and comparison, Superintendent of Police, A. S Odeh, a Forensic Document Examiner, in his findings, held therefore that “the writer of the signatures on the relevant column of documents marked as annexures A1-A4, did not sign the signatures on documents marked as Y1-Y4.
Police findings also showed that “the signatures at the relevant column of the document marked as Y1-Y4, are not the genuine signatures of the signatory marked as A1-A4, but a mere simulation of the signatures purported to be the signatory marked A1-A4”.
According to SP Odeh, “I also found characteristic features of sameness in signatures of relevant column of documents marked as A1-A4.
“That the writer of the signatures on relevant column of documents marked as annexures B1-B2 did not sign the signatures on documents marked as X1-X8.
B1-B2 is a statement by Ogunmuyiwa Adeniran Olatukunbo, who as complainant, told the Police in his witness statement that he registered Jonah Capital Nigeria Ltd in 2006.
X1 is a document dated February 7, 2014, from Jonahcapital Nigeria Ltd, after its extraordinary general meeting, wherein Townley-Johnson John Richard and Williams Michael Paul were resigned as Directors of the company.
It also disclosed that Kojo Ansah Mensah had been appointed as a Director, while Ogunmuyiwa Adeniran Olatukunbo was reappointed as a Director of the company.
“It is my opinion that the signatures at the relevant column of the document marked as X1-X8 are not the genuine signatures of the signatory marked as B1-B2 (Olatokunbo), but a mere simulation of the signatures purported to be the signatory marked as B1-B2.
Specifically, the forensic report stated that the signatures on Houses for Africa extra ordinary general meeting held in Abuja, where the company re-alloted “7,500,000 of it’s shares to Samuel Esson Jonah” as well as “allotted 500,000 shares to Houses for Africa Inc, Delaware” were not genuine.
More so, the report showed that the signature on the document titled “Relinquishment of Shares” purportedly written by Adeniran Ogunmuyiwa, relinquishing 2,000,000 ordinary shares held in Houses for Africa Nig Ltd. was forged too.