Court orders status quo on Lagos property

A Lagos High Court, Igbosere, has ordered that status quo be maintain, pending the determination of the suit filed by a Lagos-based engineer, Babatope Bejide.

Bejide filed the action against an auctioning order of a court on his property situated at Plot 28, block 74, Engr Babatunde Bejide Crescent, Lekki, Lagos.

Justice G. M. Onyeabo gave the status quo order after hearing counsel to the claimant, Ade Oshodi on why the court should restrain the auctioning order placed on his client’s property.

Earlier, Oshodi had in his motion on notice, prayed the court for an order setting aside or staying the order of attachment and sale made in March 2014 in respect of the property.

Mentioned as respondents in the suit are Alhaja Aminat Lateef Owolabi, Touchstone Micro Finance Bank Ltd, Mr Tunde Oyeleke, Mrs Wande Oyeleke, Deputy Sheriff, High Court of Lagos, the Inspector General of Police, Assistant IG, Zone 2 Command Onikan and the
Commissioner of Police, Lagos State.

Also, in the motion on notice, the claimant seeks for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining all the defendants whether by themselves , their agents, servants, officers, privies, members of the Nigerian Police force or any other security formations from further trespassing and tampering in any manner in the said property.

The claimant also stated that he is the legal and beneficial owner of the entire property which was purchased sometime in 1994 and has been
validly issued with both the Certificate of Occupancy and Governor’s consent by the Lagos State government in respect of the property.

The claimant stated further that on the December 2, 2016, the deputy Sheriff (5th defendant) invaded the said property for the purpose of execution of judgment in respect of Suit No. LD/1791/2011.

The claimant through his counsel stated in the motion that, he has not sold, mortgaged or conveyed his rights and interest in respect of the property to any persons or authority except the tenants he has put on the property whose tenancies are still subsisting.

However, the matter has been adjourned to the 23rd of January 2017.