A Lagos High Court sitting in Osborne, Ikoyi, has restrained Lekki County Homes Estate Management Company Limited and others from parading themselves as managers of Lekki County Estate, in a judgment that affirms the authority of residents over the estate’s administration.
In a ruling, Justice Atinuke Ipaye held that the Incorporated Trustees of Ikota Kounti Residents and Owners Association (IKROA) validly terminated the Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the estate management firm and lawfully appointed a replacement.
The court, in Suit No. LD/6989GCM/2023—Incorporated Trustees of Ikota Kounti Residents and Owners Association v. Lekki County Homes Estate Management Company Limited & Ors—found that the SLA between the parties had been properly brought to an end and that the continued claim to management by the defendants lacked legal basis.
Justice Ipaye further held that Global Property Facilities International Limited was validly appointed by the residents’ association as the new estate manager, following the termination of the defendants’ services.
Consequently, the court issued a perpetual injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants from parading themselves as managers of Lekki County Estate or interfering in its management and control.
It also ordered the defendants to hand over all assets belonging to the residents’ association.The court dismissed in its entirety the counter-claim filed by the defendants, holding that it was without merit.
Among the reliefs granted were declarations that the SLA—and by extension the defendants’ services—were validly terminated; that the appointment of Global Property Facilities International Limited was lawful; and that the defendants must cease all acts suggesting managerial authority over the estate.
Reacting to the judgment, counsel to the residents, Timothy Bamgboye, described the ruling as a victory for estate residents who had long complained of deprivation of essential services. He said the judgment was largely documentary and expressed confidence it would stand even if appealed.
The Chairman of IKROA, Wale Olawoyin, hailed the judgment as a “well-deserved victory” for residents, noting that multiple attempts at amicable resolution had failed before the matter went to court. He said residents would now move to ensure full compliance with the handover order.
Also speaking, immediate past chairman of IKROA, Dr. Ndubisi Okaro, said the dispute stemmed from what residents viewed as years of insensitivity by the developer-linked management company, including alleged attempts to impose leadership on the residents’ association and run parallel structures
He added that residents had previously secured a fundamental rights judgment over alleged harassment and service disruptions. One of the defence counsels, Akintunde Ibironke, declined comment when approached after the ruling.
The judgment brings to a close a protracted legal battle over control of Lekki County Estate and affirms the residents’ right to determine who manages their community.
