Residents of a 16-unit residential complex in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, have accused a property management firm, Greenbirch Limited, of sustained harassment, intimidation, and unlawful activities despite a subsisting court judgment stripping the company of tenancy rights to the property.
The tenants, occupying three-bedroom apartments at 96B, Ladipo Omotesho Cole Street, Lekki Phase 1, alleged that Greenbirch Limited — led by Mr. Lawrence Uwaoma Onwukwem, Mr. Davies Isaiah Ijele, and staff members Mr. Sodiq Tayo Kazeem and Ms. Peace Chidinma Igbo — has continued to engage in acts of aggression and criminal conduct after losing legal possession of the building to RAO Investment Property Company Limited, owned by industrialist Chief Razak Okoya, CON.
The residents, who rented the apartments through Greenbirch, claimed the company had engaged in unlawful entry, theft, intimidation, threats to life, and disruption of peace.
One of the sub-tenants, Mr. Odera Emeka Eke, said he rented two units in August 2021 and invested heavily in renovations, including replacing sanitary wares, kitchen fittings, and ceilings with POP materials — all done in the presence of Greenbirch’s officials.
Eke said the company initially depended on tenants to manage operational issues, including the purchase of new electricity meters, which they were promised reimbursement for — a promise yet to be fulfilled.
“Greenbirch later claimed there was an outstanding ₦20 million electricity bill owed to EKEDC,” Eke told PLATFORM TIMES. “We later discovered the bill arose from a power bypass allegedly done by Greenbirch. They had been collecting power payments from us but failed to remit them.”
He said the tenants were forced to collectively contribute funds to settle part of the debt before reconnection, while Greenbirch paid only ₦2 million.
Following a court judgment in favour of RAO Investment Property Company Limited, Eke said Greenbirch retaliated by disconnecting power and water supply, deploying armed men to the premises, and intimidating workers and residents.
“These actions forced us to petition the AIG, Zone 2 Police Command,” he said. “Instead of stopping, the harassment worsened. They keep disconnecting our utilities and have been using the police to summon tenants on trumped-up allegations.”
Another couple, Mr. and Mrs. Olusola and Olufunmilola Alabi, who rented a flat from Greenbirch for Airbnb business, accused the firm of breaking into their apartment and carting away items valued at over ₦23 million, after which the flat was re-let to another person.
“In an attempt to cover up their crime, Greenbirch petitioned the AIG at FCID Alagbon, accusing us falsely,” Mr. Alabi said. “But police investigations later confirmed that they were the ones who broke in and stole our belongings.”
The couple said they filed a petition to the police and later took the matter to court, but Greenbirch again escalated the issue to the DIG, Force Intelligence Department (FID), Abuja, where the police dismissed their claims as false and reaffirmed that the offenses were criminal in nature.
The investigation report was subsequently forwarded to Lagos for prosecution, but according to the Alabis, “some officers shelved it and advised us to wait for the outcome of the civil case.”
The crisis escalated when Ms. Peace Chidinma Igbo, a Greenbirch staff member, was arrested and charged before the Oyingbo Magistrate Court (Charge No: BG/K/23/25/2025 — Commissioner of Police v. Peace Chidinma Igbo) for failing to produce Mr. Sodiq Kazeem, for whom she had stood surety.
She was reportedly remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Facility before meeting bail conditions. Meanwhile, the key Greenbirch executives — Onwukwem, Ijele, and Kazeem — have allegedly gone into hiding and refused to honour police invitations.
In a statement, Chief Razak Okoya, CON, and Chief (Mrs.) Shade Okoya, MON, debunked viral claims that Senator Domingo Obende sought to take over the Lekki property as collateral for a $250,000 loan. They described the reports as fictitious, malicious, and intended to cause confusion.
The Okoyas explained that Greenbirch’s lease had been lawfully terminated by court order but the company resorted to blackmail, harassment, and deployment of fake armed policemen to intimidate sub-tenants and force them to pay advance rents worth millions of naira — payments they have no legal authority to demand.
They further alleged that Greenbirch still owes RAO Investment Property Company Limited outstanding rent and warned members of the public against any form of property transaction with the firm or its agents.
“Greenbirch Limited and its operators have no lawful control over our property,” the Okoyas said. “Anyone dealing with them does so at their own risk.”
As of the time of filing this report, multiple petitions are still pending at the Zone 2 Police Command, FCID Alagbon, and Lagos High Court, where Greenbirch is seeking a fundamental rights enforcement order to restrain police investigation and arrest of its officials.
The sub-tenants, however, insist they will continue to pursue justice and reclaim their peace, accusing the company of “acting above the law” despite several judicial pronouncements
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