The planned arraignment of prominent businessman Alhaji Hameed Kasumu and his company, Kings County Property Investment Limited, hit a roadblock at the Lagos State High Court in Tafa Balewa Square last Thursday. The court proceedings stalled due to the absence of the defendants, who face serious charges related to a disputed property in the upscale Ikoyi area.
Courtroom Drama Over Legal Service
When the case was called before Justice Abdul-Raheem Tejumade Muyideen, prosecutor Igile Oju informed the court that the defendants had been properly served with the five-count charge but deliberately failed to appear. The proof of service dated October 15, 2025 indicated that court documents were delivered to one Mrs Ruth, allegedly an employee of the first defendant.
However, defence counsel Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) strongly contested this claim, arguing that his client, Kasumu, was outside the court's jurisdiction and had not received proper personal service. The senior advocate revealed that the defence had already filed a preliminary objection challenging the court's jurisdiction over the matter.
Property Dispute Background
The case originated from a petition by Muhammadu Dahiru Wada, who accused Kasumu and his company of illegally occupying his property at Plot 15, Alexander Avenue, Ikoyi. The Inspector-General of Police filed charges numbered LD/26902C/2025, accusing the defendants of conspiracy, forcible entry, unlawful possession, and intimidation.
According to police investigations, while Kasumu's firm legitimately obtained a court judgment concerning Plot 16 on the same street, they allegedly extended their enforcement to Plot 15, which belongs to Wada. A verification report from the Surveyor-General of the Federation confirmed that Plots 15 and 16 are separate parcels of land located approximately 306 metres apart.
Adjournment and Next Steps
After examining arguments from both sides, Justice Muyideen ruled that while service on the company could be considered sufficient, proper personal service had not been effected on Kasumu himself. The prosecutor subsequently sought an adjournment to regularize the service process.
The court granted this request and adjourned the case to January 13, 2026, when it will first hear the preliminary objection challenging jurisdiction before proceeding with the main case. The IGP Monitoring Unit had previously recommended that police officers deployed at the disputed property at Kasumu's instance should be withdrawn, noting that the police should not be used as a suppression tool in clear cases of land disputes.
