A House of Representatives member, James Faleke, has faulted a pre-action notice sent to the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Victor Opara.
Opara wrote on behalf of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Magodo Property Development Company Limited, Mr. Lai Omotola.
He demanded a public apology and the payment of N5 billion in damages over alleged defamatory statements made against the Lagos-based property developer.
Opara accused Bamidele of slander, alleging that the Senator falsely portrayed Omotola as a “land grabber” and a “fraudulent person” during a telephone conversation with Faleke.
But, Falake has distanced himself from the allegation, saying “nothing of such occurred”.
According to Opara, the alleged defamatory remarks were made on January 12, 2026, and were said to have been heard by several persons because the call was placed on speakerphone at Faleke’s residence in Lagos.
The statements, the lawyer argued, imputed criminal conduct to Omotola and exposed him to public hatred, ridicule, and contempt.
The letter described the alleged comments as “false, malicious and injurious,” noting that they had gravely damaged Omotola’s reputation and strained his relationship with Faleke and other associates.
The pre-action notice also laid out the background to an ongoing dispute over a prime property located at No. 24 Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Opara maintained that the land is vested in the Federal Government of Nigeria and was lawfully leased to Magodo Property Development Company for 99 years after the company paid N1.152 billion as consideration.
He stated that the company took possession of the property without interference until a rival claimant, Kaplan Properties Limited, allegedly laid claim to the land based on a title purportedly derived from the Lagos State Government.
According to the letter, the rival title is invalid because Lagos State lacked the legal authority to allocate the property.
Opara further alleged that Kaplan Properties, with the “active support” of Senator Bamidele, enlisted the Police to forcefully dispossess Magodo Property Development Company of the property, despite the dispute being civil in nature.
The letter said the intervention of the police led Omotola to institute an action at the Federal High Court in Lagos, which subsequently ordered the police to vacate the property.
The order, the lawyer noted, remains valid and has neither been set aside nor overturned on appeal.
Despite the subsisting court order and the pendency of a separate suit at the Lagos State High Court, Opara alleged that attempts were still being made to take over the property through police involvement, an action he described as unlawful and an abuse of power.
While stating that his client found it difficult to believe that Bamidele would be involved in such conduct, given his “sterling record in public service,” Opara said the available facts appeared to support Omotola’s claims.
On the defamation allegation, the lawyer argued that the statements attributed to the Senate Majority Leader amounted to slander actionable per se.
He claimed they imputed the commission of a crime under the Lagos State Properties Protection Law.
The SAN noted that, under Nigerian law, such statements attract damages without the need for proof of actual loss.
Opara, therefore, demanded a written, unreserved apology to Omotola, with a copy sent to Faleke, to be made within 14 days, and the payment of N5 billion as compensatory damages within 21 days.
The letter warned that failure to comply with the demands would leave Omotola with no option but to institute legal proceedings, adding that the damages sought in court could exceed the N5 billion being demanded.
Falake responds
Falake’s counsel, Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), in response to Opara’s demand, distanced the lawmaker from the claims.
He stated: “We are Solicitors to Rt. Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, whom you mentioned in your letter addressed to Distinguished Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, dated 19th January 2016
“Our client has informed us that nothing of such as contained in the said letter as far as making any slanderous statements occurred.
“This response is for record purposes.”
