Businessman, ex-Anambra gov, wife in legal battle over land

A property investor and Lagos-based businessman, Dr. Basil Ogbuanu, has sued a former Governor of old Anambra State, Chief Jim Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo, and his wife, Dr. Patricia Nwobodo, in an Enugu State High Court over an alleged N235m land fraud.

The couple in turn sued the businessman at the same high court.

In the legal tussle, which involves multiple companies and cross-petitions, both parties are claiming billions of naira in damages in two separate suits, marked F/328/2016 and E/244/2025.

Court documents seen by our correspondent revealed that Ogbuanu, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Energy FM, Enugu, claimed he was allegedly defrauded of over N235m in a land transaction at Independence Layout, Enugu.

Ogbuanu alleged that he began the purchase in 2021 through Millennium Construction & Estate Developers Ltd and later Linkana Hotels Limited—firms in which the Nwobodos reportedly hold interests.

He stated that after paying N235m for multiple plots, including R/18 to R/22, and receiving allocation papers, he discovered at the Ministry of Lands that the property had been transferred to another firm, Moss Island Limited, in 2022.

“All the sales done in the name of Linkana had no authority because the property belonged to another company,” a source familiar with the filing alleged.

In a swift reaction, Senator Jim Nwobodo and his wife filed a separate suit, No. E/244/2025, seeking a court declaration that there was no valid or enforceable sale or transfer of any portion of their estate to Ogbuanu.

The plaintiffs (the Nwobodos) described Ogbuanu’s presence on the property as a trespass and asked the court to compel him to collect his purchase money and vacate the land.

They are also seeking ₦20m for medical expenses and ₦1bn as general and aggravated damages against the businessman.

The dispute took a dramatic turn in January 2026 when Ogbuanu alleged that his buildings on the site were demolished despite having secured government building permits. He claimed that the defendants used earthmoving equipment and police officers to pull down structures and cart away materials worth millions of naira.

The land tussle also birthed a criminal case (MES/22C/2026) after Mrs. Nwobodo alleged that Ogbuanu and his workers assaulted her and a police officer, Constable Ugwu Emmanuel.

However, the Magistrate Court in Enugu South struck out the four-count criminal charge on April 15, 2026, after the complainants failed to appear in court.

Presiding Magistrate, D.K. Ekoh, slammed a N1m cost against Mrs. Nwobodo, stating, “A complainant… who decides to stay in his luxury home without prosecuting his complaint, should as well pay damages to the person(s) she wrongfully complained against.”

In his suit, Ogbuanu is seeking N820m as special damages for the destroyed property and N5bn as general damages for emotional and psychological distress.

On the other hand, the Nwobodos maintain that the transaction was invalid and that Ogbuanu’s actions on the land constituted a breach of their property rights.

No dates have been fixed for the hearing of the two separate civil suits before the Enugu State High Court.