Alma Beach Estate: Allottees allege violation of court order
Alma Beach Estate allotees, a highbrow estate in Ikate area of Lekki Peninsula, Lagos, have alleged continuous violation of an order of a Federal High Court, Lagos, by the police and Nicon Trustees Limited.
The allottees, through their lawyer, Chief Nestor Okwarauba, alleged repeated invasion, occupation, intimidation and destruction of property at the estate by armed policemen and thugs allegedly recruited by Nicon Trustees Limited, which they said, was in complete violation of an order of the court.
Justice Mohammed Liman of a Federal High Court had on October 29, 2019 granted an interim injunction restraining Nicon Trustees Limited, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and Abah Onah, who were respondents in suit No. FHC/L/CS/1059/18 from taking possession of, offering for sale, acting in any manner which is inconsistent with or capable of interfering with the propriety and possessory interest of Alma Beach Estates Limited.
The judge also restrained the respondents whether themselves or by their agents, privies, servants, assigns and any third party whomsoever acting through or under its authority from using the instrumentality of the Nigeria Police Force to take possession of, offer for sale, act in any manner howsoever, which are capable of interfering with the proprietary and possessory interest of Alma Beach Estates Limited in respect of the estate situate at Lekki Peninsula and covered by Power of Attorney registered as No. 70 at Page 70 in Volume 1911, Lagos State, pending the determination of the motion on notice.
The court further restrained the Nigeria Police Force whether themselves or by their agents, servants, assigns, privies and any third party whomsoever acting through or under his authority or any other security agency in Nigeria from assisting Nicon Trustees Limited and Abah Onah (the first and second respondents) in taking possession of, offering for sale or acting in any manner capable of interfering with the proprietary and possessory interest of Alma Beach Estates Limited in respect of the estate situate at Lekki Peninsula and covered by Power of Attorney registered as No. 70 at Page 70 in Volume 1911, Lagos State, pending the determination of the motion on notice.
But the allottees alleged that the police had in flagrant disobedience to the court order been assisting the respondents.
Counsel to Alma Beach also accused Nicon and its agents of fraudulently obtaining the criminal assistance of the PSO to the Inspector-General of Police and other top ranking police officers to engage in illegality and abuse of power to intimidate and attempt to grab plots of land forcefully from innocent landowners in the estate
While urging the IGP to call his men to order and immediately order their evacuation from the property, Okwarauba also urged Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to investigate the attempts by Nicon agents to infiltrate the Lagos State Surveyor-General’s office, Mr. Sangowanwa, to swap original documents with their cloned copies in connivance with their insider agents at Alausa.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Police Spokesman, Bala Elkana, claimed ignorance of the matter.
Also, when The Guardian contacted on his mobile phone, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) in charge of Intelligence and Investigations, Mike Ogbizi, pledged to call back but did not as of the time of filling in this report.