1004: Court Extends Order Restoring Control, Management by 1004 Estates Ltd

The Lagos High Court has extended the order by Justice Candide Johnson, which maintains the status quo of “control and management of 1004 estates by 1004 Estates Ltd over the entire parcel of land known as 1004 Estates, Victoria island, Lagos” The order of 22nd January 2016 which further restrained the leaders of 1004 HORA, it’s appointees and agents (including the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps) from presence and any activity on the 1004 Estate. The leaders of 1004 HORA and its agents were also restrained from collecting any monies, including service or electricity charges on the estate. After listening to arguments at the resumed hearing, Justice

Candide Johnson stated that “there is no dispute that the police, whose further presence or activity was specifically restrained in relation to their involvement with the respondents and in connection with the contractual relationships between the parties herein, nevertheless went into the disputed property after the 22/1/2016 court order.

“Without prejudice to the lawful exercise by the police of their powers, there is a need for this court to be fully, properly and formally appraised of the reason for the presence of the police at the property in the face of the court order. This is because if the police had not gone back into the premises against the contents of the order, perhaps there would have been no confrontation of the type that appears to have resulted thereafter.”

The new order further requires the police to justify its actions at the next court sitting on 5th February 2016. The court order also maintaining the status of control and management of the estate by 1004 estates Ltd and restraining collection of any service charges or electricity charges by 1004 HORA or its agents was similarly extended to the next sitting on Friday, this week.