The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has ordered the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to take Abuja-based estate agent Rebecca Omokamo Godwin-Isaac into custody and produce her in court for the continuation of her trial over alleged land fraud, forgery, and money laundering.
Justice Joyce Abdulmalik issued the order after Omokamo failed to appear in court for the continuation of her criminal trial on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.
At the resumed proceedings, Omokamo’s counsel, Christopher Oshomeghie, told the court that EFCC operatives had laid siege to his client’s residence for 23 days, preventing her from leaving her home because she feared for her safety.
However, the prosecution interjected, arguing that the defendant had the keys to the apartment and had locked herself inside.
The prosecution insisted that the EFCC officers stationed outside were carrying out enforcement duties and had not prevented her from leaving.
In a short ruling, Justice Abdulmalik ordered the EFCC to take the defendant into custody and produce her in court on Thursday, July 23, for the continuation of her trial.
Proceedings began with counsel for the prosecution, Benedict Ubi, informing the court that the first defendant, Rebecca Omokamo, was under a “self-imposed house arrest”, following the court’s interim forfeiture order on the disputed property.
The prosecutor said the defendant was obstructing EFCC officers from carrying out the court’s order. Mr. Ubi also accused Mrs. Omokamo of breaching the terms of her administrative bail by repeatedly travelling outside the court’s jurisdiction.
In response, counsel for the defendant argued that EFCC officers had taken over his clients’ property during a 23-day siege. He said his client was in a poor state of health after being confined indoors for that long.
However, the prosecutor clarified that the defendant had the keys to the apartment and had locked herself inside, not the EFCC officers who were on enforcement duty.
Subsequently, Justice Abdulmalik ordered the anti-corruption agency to produce the defendant in court after her counsel confirmed that she had the keys to the apartment and that the EFCC officers had not locked her inside.
Earlier, in a related civil suit instituted by the EFCC, Justice Abdulmalik rebuked Senior Advocate Christopher Oshomeghie for “thinking for the court.”
The judge made the remark after the lawyer drew her attention to the continued siege on his client’s Guzape property by EFCC operatives.
He had sought clarification on her earlier order directing that the status quo ante bellum be maintained by the parties, arguing that the continued presence of EFCC officers at the property had effectively confined his client indoors for almost a month.
Responding, the judge said, “When I make an order, I go to sleep,” emphasising that counsel could not think for the court.
Earlier during the civil proceedings, Mr. Ubi informed the court that there was a pending application for the final forfeiture of the disputed property. He also disclosed that another party had filed an application seeking to be joined in the suit.
The court held that the application for joinder takes precedence over the other pending applications and would therefore be heard first.
Justice Abdulmalik adjourned the civil suit until October 15 for the hearing of all pending applications.
She also ordered the EFCC to take the defendant into custody and produce her in court on Thursday, July 23, for the continuation of her criminal trial.
Meanwhile, contrary to Rebecca’s claim that she was trapped inside the house due to the EFCC siege, sources in the EFCC have confirmed that she has been arrested following the latest court order after voluntarily walking out of the building early Tuesday morning.
Rebecca Omokamo was arraigned on June 18, 2025, before Justice Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on multiple charges in two separate suits: FHC/ABJ/CR/76/2025, containing 17 counts, and FHC/ABJ/CR/77/2025, containing five counts.
Her co-defendants are her husband, Isaac Yusuf Ishaku, Homadil Realty Limited, Idakwogi Richard John, and Rychado Homes Limited.
The EFCC alleges that the defendants fraudulently obtained more than ₦500 million from victims between 2023 and 2024 by selling plots of land using forged documents, including fake Powers of Attorney.
The disputed properties include Plot 4022 in Guzape and several plots in Katampe.
The commission further alleges that the proceeds of the fraud were laundered through company accounts.
The victims include a 79-year-old widow, Colleen Yesufu, and others.
One prosecution witness, Abu Gambo, testified in July 2025 that he lost ₦62 million after purchasing two plots in Katampe whose titles later disappeared from the Abuja Geographic Information Systems (AGIS) records.