A man identified as Greg Okwumbu has been arrested and arraigned before the Magistrate Court in Ogwashi-Uku for fraud and forgery, after allegedly forging palace documents to defraud Ifejiaka Haruna Estate, Asaba, of ₦15 million.
The case, filed under Charge No. MO/23C/2025, reveals that Okwumbu falsely used the letterhead of the Ogwashi-Uku Land Committee and forged the signature of Barrister Henry Tobechukwu Ogidi to issue a fraudulent Letter of Allocation Approval.
According to police sources, crack detectives from the Delta State Command arrested Okwumbu at a bank in Ogba, Lagos, after tracking him for seven months due to his failure to honour repeated police invitations.
He was transferred to Asaba, where he was formally charged.
Criminal Charges and Links to Palace Invasion
Okwumbu faces two counts:
1. Forgery of an official palace document to execute fraudulent land deals, an offence punishable under Section 473 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C.21, Vol 1, Laws of Delta State.
2. Fraudulent preparation of a forged letterhead for unauthorized land allocation, violating Section 467(2)(M) of the Criminal Code Law.
He was represented by Barrister Francis Okolie, who is also a defendant alongside Mr. Mike Nwaukoni in a separate terrorism and attempted murder case at the Federal High Court.
Okolie and Nwaukoni are accused of invading the Obi’s palace in October 2023, causing violence and destroying police vehicles.
The magistrate granted Okwumbu bail at ₦2 million, requiring a civil servant as surety.
At the time of this report, his lawyer was struggling to meet the bail conditions, and failure to do so will result in his remand at the Ogwashi-Uku Correctional Center.
Palace Warns Against Fraudulent Land Sales
The Palace of the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku through the Palace Secretary Prince Ifeakanachukwu Emordi has strongly condemned land grabbers and fraudsters who forge Palace documents to deceive the public.
The palace also denounced the ongoing misinformation campaign by these fraudulent individuals, who use social media and blackmail tactics to discredit the Obi and cover up their illegal activities.
According to Prince Emordi, the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku remains firm in stopping land racketeering and will continue working with law enforcement to prosecute offenders.
The palace has also urged the public to report fraudulent land deals and exercise caution when purchasing land in Ogwashi-Uku.
