Court Restrains Fine Coats Boss from Selling ‘Girlfriend’s Property

After six years of relationship, which both parties believed would lead to lasting matrimony, the once toast of the town lovers have dragged each other to court over property currently under litigation.

That is the case between the Fine Coats boss, Dr. Emmanuel Awode and his ‘girlfriend’ of six years, Funmi Abike Taylor.

Justice Akintunde Savage of the Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court yesterday granted an interim order restraining Awode, CEO of Chemstar Group, his agents and privies from selling or leasing on properties situated at block 104, plot 26, Lekki 1, Lagos.

The court also ordered the claimant to serve the respondent, Awode, by pasting the court processes on the business premises or his residential address.

The court made the order following a motion ex parte filed by the claimant, Ms Funmi Abike Taylor, through her counsel, Mr Wahab Shittu (SAN), in a suit marked ID/11039GCMW/2024 against Awode as respondent.

At the resumed hearing, Shittu told the court that he filed two applications before the court, noting that his first application was dated April 8, 2024, and the second one was dated March 20, 2024.

He told the court that his first application, dated April 8, seeks an order of the court for substituted service and is supported by a five-paragraph affidavit.

He said the second application is an ex parte motion, attached to which the claimant deposed to a 35-paragraph affidavit.

Shittu submitted that his application was brought pursuant to Order 43 Rules 1 & 2 of the High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2019 and section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended. He urged the court to grant the applications.

However, the judge, in his ruling, granted the claimant prayer of substituted service and also granted an interim injunction, “restraining the defendant either by themselves, privies, assigns, agents, or anyone acting on his behalf from selling, mortgaging, leasing, intermeddling, snooping and or continuous trespass on the properties situate, lying and known and listed as one to the six.”

The disputed property includes a five-bedroom duplex with two-room service quarters located in Block 104, Plot 26. Lekki 1, Lagos. Plot 0446 of the Royal Garden Estate, Ajah Village in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State and two units of four-bedroom and 1 BQ semi-detached House, located at La Vida, Lekki, Lagos and the property located at Plot A5, Vintage Park Estate, Lagos, with five units of apartments at Paramount Residence Lekla, Lagos. There is also a four-bedroom duo luxury maisonette at IME height, Lagos (Foreshore Waters Limited).

The property in dispute are alleged gifts made pursuant to the fulfilment of his promise to marry the claimant, Taylor, and they belong to the claimant since the defendant breached the promise to marry the claimant.

The matter is adjourned until May 9.