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A Lagos State High Court sitting in Yaba has restrained the Lagos State Government and four other defendants from taking possession of or interfering with a disputed property belonging to Chief H.A.K. Shonowo, an 80-year-old widow, in Lekki Peninsula Scheme I. Justice E.O. Ashade granted the interim order pending the hearing of a motion on notice filed by Shonowo, who instituted the suit on her own behalf and on behalf of the estate of her late husband, Chief Owodiran Olusoga Shonowo. The suit names the Lagos State Government, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, the Governor of Lagos State, Gary Sanusi, and Dillon Consultants Nigeria Limited as defendants.
The claimant alleged that the defendants had threatened to take over the family’s property despite her lawful ownership and possession of the land. In response, the court ordered all parties to maintain the status quo and restrained the defendants, their agents and representatives from entering, taking possession of or interfering with the property until the application before the court is determined. The judge also directed that all relevant court processes be served on the defendants ahead of the next hearing.
The ruling preserves the ownership status of the disputed Lekki property while the substantive legal battle continues. The case is expected to return to court for further proceedings, where both sides will present their arguments on the ownership and control of the estate.
