A medical doctor, Dr. Ojo Oluwatosin Ademola, has filed a notice of consequences of disobedience of court order before a Lagos High Court against the Lagos State Task Force, Peter Omotosho, Mr Tunji Solaja and Starmark Finance Company Limited.
The notice was filed over their alleged disobedience to the court order restraining them from trespassing on land belonging to a medical doctor in the Lekki area of the state.
Dr Ademola, in Form 48, filed at the registry, accused the defendants of flagrant disobedience to the order made by Justice Akinkunmi Idowu.In the motion, the court was prayed to restrain the law firm of Mr Lawal Pedro (SAN) & Associates from representing a company, Starmark Finance Company Limited in an ongoing suit filed by the doctor seeking to prevent land grabbers from taking over his land.
The claimant wants the law firm, whose principal, Pedro, is now the Attorney General of Lagos to withdraw its representation for the first defendant (the Company) on ground of conflict of interest.”
The claimant also prayed the court to set “aside the order for change of counsel of the first defendant to the Law firm of Lawal Pedro (SAN) & Associates granted on the 18th of February, 2025.”
The court had granted an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the “defendants/respondents whether by themselves, their servants, or agents or privies or otherwise, whosoever from trespassing, harassing, or going into the land or carrying out any activities whatsoever on the land, lying and situate at Plot 1, Block 4, Lekki Peninsula, Scheme 1, Admiralty Road, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State measuring 1, 147.124 square metres vide Deed of Assignment registered as No. 69, page 69, in Volume 2741 of the Land Registry, Ikeja, Lagos State, pending the hearing and determination of the suit.”
The court also granted: “An order for interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants/respondents whether by themselves, their servants, or agents from using force, thugs, the Police and other agencies of the government to harass, intimidate, break into the claimant’s property lying and situate at Plot 1, Block 4, Lekki Peninsula, Scheme 1, Admiralty Road, Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State measuring 1,147.124 square meters vide Deed of Assignment registered as No.69, Page 69, in Volume 2741 of the Land Registry, Ikeja, Lagos State, pending the hearing and determination of the Suit.”
The claimant claimed that despite the subsistence of the court order, the defendants/respondents continued to use police and other spurious means to invade the land and disturb the owner and his workers from peaceful enjoyment of his property.
“Shockingly, despite the court’s injunction and the Director of Public Prosecution’s advice for prosecution of the alleged offenders, the land grabbers continued their attempts to seize the property.
“They have employed the service of Police several times, which we resisted, realising that we have genuine documents and court order over the said parcel of land,” he said.
The matter has been adjourned until April 10, 2025, when the court will probably hear the claimant’s application for committal after the filing of Form 49, a committal proceeding.
The medical doctor had cried out to President Bola Tinubu, Lagos State governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Inspector General of Police, calling for their urgent intervention following an alleged forceful and illegal planned takeover of his land in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos.
The doctor, who was working towards building a specialist hospital for the benefit of Lagosians and Nigerians, revealed that his investment and life are under serious threat due to the actions of the suspected land grabbers and land speculators who are hell bent on taking over his legitimate property.
He said he legally purchased the land located on Admiralty Road, Lekki Phase 1, from Churchgate Nigeria Ltd in 2020 and duly perfected the title by obtaining the Governor’s consent and registering the land at the Bureau of Lands, Lagos State.
His lawyer, Mr Ayodele Osanyinlusi assured that his client secured the necessary building approvals from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPA) apart from the Certificate of Occupancy issued in covering the land dated January 16, 1990, which gave him the authority to commence the building of the hospital.
