Three property owners have slammed contempt proceedings on four officials of the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) at a Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly flouting the court’s order.
The four officials involved are; Ayodeji Adebayo Joseph, Managing Director, LSDPC; Adedamola Adepegba, LSDPC’s Legal Adviser; Adeola Olusodo, Executive Director, LSDPC and Olubusola Omotayo Akinbiyi, Deputy General Manager/Solicitor, LSDPC.
The contempt suit was filed against the four officials over their alleged flouting of a court’s order restraining LSDPC from having any dealing with a property situated at Plot 11 Akinola Martins Close, South-West, Ikoyi, Lagos State (now known as No. 1A & 1B Okunola Martins Close, South West Ikoyi, Lagos) in any manner whatsoever pending the hearing and determination of a subsisting suit on the property.
The property owners; Owodipo Awolowo Shonowo, Owokemi Omogbemi Shonowo, and Owodolapo Bosola Shonowo, had secured the restraining order after filing an ex-parte motion through their lawyer, Adetunji Adedoyin.
Justice Yellin Bogoro of a Federal High Court in Lagos has while granting the ex-parte motion restrained the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC), Attorney General of Lagos State and two others from selling, entering, acquiring and dealing with or trespassing into the property.
Aside from the LSDPC and the Attorney General of Lagos State, other defendants in the suit are the Registrar of Titles, Lagos State, and the Federal Land Registry, Lagos State. They are the 1st to 4th defendants in the suit.
In an affidavit in support of the motion ex-parte, one of the property owners, Owodipo Awolowo Shonowo, averred that himself and two others became owners of the property by virtue of an Instrument of Transfer of Leasehold dated 9th October 1965 executed between Real Properties Limited and the plaintiffs wherein they became joint owners of the said property and Notices to the Registrar of Title all dated 9th October, 1965 were issued to the plaintiffs respectively and Real Properties Limited.
He added that the transfer of title to the property was registered accordingly, and the transaction was consented to on 11th October, 1965 by the Minister of Lagos Affairs.
The deponent stated further that during the plaintiffs lease period and up till date which is about fifty-eight (58) years since being owners of the property, the owners have been in lawful possession and have been exercising all rights of ownership over the property without any let or hindrance.
However, while the order was still subsisting, yet to be discharged and the motion on notice was yet to be determined, the alleged contemnors were said to have tampered with the ‘res’ and sold the property to a purported buyer, Villa Angelia Hotel Limited whose alter ego is one Chief Chidi Anyeagbu, popularly known as Chisco, despite the subsisting order of the court.
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