A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. James Faleke, has distanced himself from a pre-action notice issued against the Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, over alleged defamatory remarks concerning a Lagos-based property developer.
The notice was issued by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Victor Opara, who wrote on behalf of the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Magodo Property Development Company Limited, Mr. Lai Omotola. The lawyer demanded a public apology and the payment of N5 billion in damages, alleging that Senator Bamidele made slanderous statements against Omotola.
According to Opara, Bamidele allegedly described Omotola as a “land grabber” and a “fraudulent person” during a telephone conversation with Faleke on January 12, 2026. The lawyer claimed the call was placed on speakerphone at Faleke’s Lagos residence and was heard by several individuals.
However, Faleke has firmly denied the allegation, insisting that no such conversation or defamatory remarks ever occurred.
Opara argued that the alleged statements imputed criminal conduct to Omotola, exposing him to public ridicule and damaging his reputation. He described the remarks as “false, malicious and injurious,” adding that they had strained Omotola’s relationship with Faleke and other associates.
The pre-action notice also detailed an ongoing dispute over a prime property located at No. 24 Adeola Odeku Street, Victoria Island, Lagos. Opara maintained that the land belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria and was lawfully leased to Magodo Property Development Company for 99 years after the payment of N1.152 billion.
He alleged that Kaplan Properties Limited later laid claim to the property based on a title purportedly issued by the Lagos State Government, which he argued lacked the legal authority to allocate the land.
The lawyer further accused Kaplan Properties, allegedly with the active support of Senator Bamidele, of using the Police to forcefully dispossess Magodo Property Development Company of the property, despite the matter being civil in nature. This, he said, prompted Omotola to approach the Federal High Court in Lagos, which ordered the Police to vacate the property.
Opara noted that the court order remains valid and has not been set aside, despite a separate suit pending at the Lagos State High Court. He alleged that renewed attempts were still being made to take over the property through police involvement, describing such actions as unlawful and an abuse of power.
While expressing difficulty in believing that Bamidele would engage in such conduct given his “sterling record in public service,” Opara said the available facts appeared to support his client’s claims.
On the defamation allegation, the SAN argued that the statements attributed to the Senate Majority Leader amounted to slander actionable per se under Nigerian law, as they allegedly imputed the commission of a crime under the Lagos State Properties Protection Law.
He, therefore, demanded a written, unreserved apology to Omotola within 14 days and the payment of N5 billion in compensatory damages within 21 days, warning that failure to comply could result in legal action with potentially higher damages.
In response, Faleke’s counsel, Mr. Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), dismissed any attempt to link the lawmaker to the alleged slander.
“Our client has informed us that nothing of such as contained in the said letter occurred as far as making any slanderous statements is concerned,” Oyewole stated, adding that the response was issued strictly for record purposes.
