Lagos socialite sues IGP, others for alleged harassment, demands N50m damages
Lagos socialite Gail Fajembola has filed a classic rights enforcement suit forward of the Federal High Court docket in Lagos, making an strive to get an relate of perpetual injunction to restrain Olutoy Property Pattern & Companies and products Ltd, the Inspector-Identical outdated of Police (IGP), and 4 others from spirited, detaining, or harassing her in reference to a property dispute.
Within the suit filed by her counsel, Akin Apara of BA Legislation LLP, Fajembola is asking the courtroom to characterize that the Nigeria Police can't misuse its powers below the guise of investigating a civil transaction to intimidate her into evicting a accurate tenant or surrendering possession of a disputed property—Flat K9-2, Ocean Parade Towers, Banana Island, Ikoyi—to a accurate property firm, Olutoy Property Pattern & Companies and products Ltd.
The action, introduced below the Traditional Rights (Enforcement Project) Guidelines, 2009, and Sections 35(1), 36, 41(1), and 46(1) of the 1999 Structure (as amended), lists other respondents because the Assistant Inspector Identical outdated of Police (Zone 2), the Commissioner of Police (Lagos Recount Affirm), Ogbonna Nweke, and Tunde Ayeni.
The claimant is making an strive to get plenty of declarations, including that any threats by the police to arrest or detain her over a non-public civil dispute are unconstitutional, oppressive, and a violation of her rights to dignity, liberty, and freedom of circulation.
She additional contended that it's a long way rarely the statutory honest of the police to position in power property repossession on behalf of internal most other folks.
The claimant attributable to this reality sought the next reliefs: “An relate of perpetual injunction restraining the first to 4th respondents from additional interfering alongside with her classic rights; and N50 million in damages for unlawful and unconstitutional interference alongside with her constitutionally assured freedoms.”
Supported by a 10-paragraph affidavit deposed by Olawale Arowosaye, a litigation clerk at BA Legislation LLP, the deponent averred that the dispute arose from a previously cordial relationship between Fajembola and Tunde Ayeni.
In step with the affidavit, Tunde Ayeni permitted Fajembola to bear interplay the property in question in 2016. She reportedly invested $Forty five,792 in furnishing the home and resided there unless her relocation to the UK in 2019.
All the plot in which by plot of her absence, the home became once at the muse aged as a short-let (Airbnb) and became once subsequently leased in 2022 to Originate bigger World Industries Ltd. as a yearly tenant.
Fajembola claims that the hire blueprint became once made with Ayeni’s verbal consent and paunchy awareness. On the opposite hand, after the internal most relationship deteriorated, she alleged that Tunde Ayeni and Olutoy Property Pattern began pressuring her to evict the tenant in some unspecified time in the future in January 2025 and return the home.
Reasonably than pursue accurate eviction proceedings, the Fifth and 6th respondents allegedly resorted to police intervention, summoning Fajembola, her agent, and representatives of the tenant to their space of job, where they were reportedly subjected to intimidation and stress to vacate the property.
Fajembola categorically denies media reports suggesting that she became once ever arrested or detained. She maintains that at no time did she relate possession of the home or purport to sell it to any individual.
