Aggrieved Property Owners File Contempt Proceedings Against LSDPC

Three property owners have filed contempt proceedings against the Lagos State Government and some of its officials for disobeying a court order restraining them from dealing with their property located at Plot 11 in the residential area now known as No. 1A & 1B Okunola Martins Close, South West Ikoyi, Lagos.

The three plaintiffs, Owodipo Awolowo Shonowo, Owokemi Omogbemi Shonowo, and Owodolapo Bosola Shonowo filed Form 48, Notice of Consequences of disobedience to order of court before the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.

Form 48 was filed against the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) and its principal officers. The other defendants in the suit are the Attorney General of Lagos State, the Registrar of Titles, the Lands Bureau of the Lagos State Government, and the Federal Land Registry, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The notice also lists the Managing Director of LSDPC, Mr. Ayodeji Joseph, and the Company Sec/Legal Adviser, Mr. Adedamola Adepegba, as the alleged contemnors.

The other alleged contemnors are the Executive Director, Mr Adeola Olusodo, and the Deputy General Manager/Solicitor, LSDPC, Olubusola Omotayo Akinbiyi.

The notice which is dated October 12th has been served on all the alleged contemnors through their office – LSPDC.

It reads: “Take Notice that unless you obey the directions contained in this order attached, you will be guilty of contempt of court and will be liable to be committed to prison”.

Counsel to the aggrieved property owners, Adetunji Adeniyi-Adedoyin of AAA Chambers, had approached the court on May 9th to seek an interim injunction restraining the defendants and their agents or its officers from interfering, selling, entering, acquiring, and dealing with or trespassing into the plaintiffs’ property. The exparte order was granted by Justice Yellini Bogoro.

Adeniyi-Adedoyin had subsequently written to the defendants on the need to uphold the order of the court and stop further trespass on the property.

But in a strange twist, officials of LSDPC proceeded to sell the property to a purported buyer, Villa Angelia Hotel Limited despite the subsisting order of the court.

It is alleged that the alter ego of the purported buyer is Chief Chidi Anyeagbu, popularly called Chisco.