Officers of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, High Court, Abuja, have sealed up a property located at Lekki Peninsula Scheme, Lagos, following an exparte order.
The exparte order was granted by Justice Othman Musa of the FCT High Court.
The sealed up property houses various business entities which have been operating in the premises for several years.
The exparte order was granted in a case for enforcement of fundamental rights in Suit No. FCT/HC/CV/4636/2025, instituted by Mr. Henry Ugonna Orabuchi Vs Nigeria Police Force and Others.
The plaintiff had alleged that his fundamental rights as guaranteed under sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 41, and 44 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), and Articles 9 and 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, have been breached.
He claimed that he purchased 3,000 square meters of reclaimed land situated at the back of Plot No A Block 12, Lekki Peninsula Scheme, Lagos State, from the landlord, Mr. Emecheta Elvis Eze, which has nothing to do with the premises where the business entities are located.
The plaintiff filed the suit to shield him from honouring invitation of the Nigeria Police Force, following a petition against him by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, (lawyer to Emecheta) over alleged conduct that amounts to criminal trespass, damage to property and threat to life.
In the suit filed by the law office of Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN, on behalf of the plaintiff, it was argued that the police invitation infringed on his fundamental rights and is aimed at compelling him into relinquishing his lawful property and contractual rights over the 3,000 square meters of reclaimed land behind the sealed up property.
In his exparte application, Ojukwu urged the court to grant an exparte order to seal up the Lagos property.
The court presided over by Justice Musa granted the order on on November 24, 2025 to seal and secure the entire property, including the reclaimed land at the back of the property measuring 3,000 square meters
He also ordered the immediate stoppage of all construction works, activities, actions, or steps on the said property while ensuring that no person, authority, or entity howsoever described is permitted access to or entry upon the property pending Ithe hearing and determination of the substantive suit pending before the court.
Following the order of the court which was supposed to have been vacated, having elapsed, on December 30, 2025, all the occupants of the property and their workers were forcefully chased out of their business premises and the property was sealed up by people who introduced themselves as officers of the FCT High Court, from Abuja.
It was gathered that efforts by the various business owners to explain to the FCT court officials that the business premises is different from the 3,000 square meters of the reclaimed land upon which the plaintiff claim is predicated yielded no results.
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