Businessman Henry Ugonna Orabuchi has strongly refuted allegations made against him by Elvis Emecheta over a disputed Lekki waterfront property, describing Emecheta as “a cheat and serial fraudster” and accusing him of attempting to mislead the public and intimidate the media.
In a rejoinder issued on Sunday, Orabuchi said Emecheta’s recent publication was reckless, defamatory and misleading, alleging that it was aimed at diverting attention from what he described as serious legal, regulatory and criminal issues surrounding the waterfront land, which is currently under court seal.
Orabuchi dismissed claims that he is a land grabber, stating that he is a legitimate businessman whose source of funds for the acquisition of 3,000 square metres of reclaimed waterfront land is lawful, traceable and well documented.
According to him, the transaction was entered into in good faith and supported by a valid contract of sale. He further alleged that he paid the full purchase price, including an additional ₦100 million demanded by Emecheta.
“It is absurd for someone who collected billions of naira to turn around and accuse the purchaser of land grabbing simply because the buyer insisted on compliance with contractual obligations and the law,” the statement said.
Orabuchi accused Emecheta of contradicting himself by claiming that reclamation of the land was still ongoing while allegedly assigning portions of the same land to multiple business entities and a church, complete with documentation.
He alleged that despite full payment, Emecheta failed to release or perfect title documents in his favour, raising questions about selective issuance of documents and defects in the property.
“These contradictions strongly reinforce the existence of serious disputes on the property,” Orabuchi stated.
The businessman also cited actions by Lagos State regulatory authorities, saying investigations revealed that several structures on the property lacked valid approvals. This, he said, led to enforcement actions by the Lagos State Building Control Authority (LASBCA).
He maintained that these actions were the result of government assessments and not instigated by him.
Orabuchi confirmed that he petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) over alleged obtaining of money by false pretence and criminal breach of trust. He said the IGP directed the matter to Zone 2 Police Command, Lagos, but alleged that Emecheta instead filed a parallel petition in Abuja, which was later redirected to Zone 2.
He further explained that he approached the Federal High Court, Abuja, only after what he described as persistent harassment and threats.
Responding to claims of media intimidation, Orabuchi said he never attempted to gag the press and only exercised his constitutional right to respond when contacted by journalists.
He added that the sealing of the disputed Lekki waterfront property was carried out pursuant to a valid ex parte court order, issued to preserve the property and prevent a breach of peace pending the determination of the case.
Orabuchi reaffirmed that he is the lawful purchaser of the 3,000 square metres of land and said all relevant documents, payment records and regulatory reports are before courts of competent jurisdiction.
He warned members of the public and prospective investors to exercise extreme caution in dealing with Emecheta, noting that the property remains the subject of ongoing civil and criminal proceedings.
“The matter is firmly before the courts, and no amount of propaganda can alter the facts, the documents or the law,” the statement concluded.
