Registered Trustees of Osborne 2 Estate and the Executives of Osborne 2 Estate Residents’ Association (OSFRA) have acted in defiance of a valid and subsisting Court order of the High Court of Lagos State.
Lekki Gardens had obtained a court order issued by Honorable Justice Oyekan-Abdullai on July 1, 2020 for Parties (to the Suit) to maintain status quo and restraining OSFRA from obstructing or disrupting Lekki Gardens’ ongoing developments in the Estate.
OSFRA submitted to the jurisdiction of the Court, yet the executives of OSFRA have continuously taken deliberate and belligerent steps to undermine the authority of the Court on the matters between OSFRA and Lekki Gardens which are sub judice.
Recently, in what can only be termed a dubious, mischievous and ill-advised move, OSFRA’s executives led by an old and experienced lawyer and its Trustees acted contemptuously against the High Court of Lagos State by blatantly disobeying its order in instituting another case with the same Parties and subject matter at the Federal High Court; a classic case of “Forum Shopping”.
It was even more bizarre that OSFRA was represented in this ill-fated Suit by their Counsel who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olukemi Pinheiro (SAN) who despite being privy to the valid and subsisting order of the High Court of Lagos State in his capacity as Counsel to OSFRA in the said matter, still appeared before the Federal High Court on the same subject matter without revealing all materials facts to the Judge.
The SAN and OSFRA concealed from the Judge of the Federal High Court the fact that there is a subsisting order by the High Court of Lagos State, a court of coordinate jurisdiction, on the same subject matter and between the same Parties.
The frivolous suit instituted by OSFRA was subsequently struck out by Honorable Justice I. N. Oweibo; as an abuse of court process and costs were awarded in favor of Lekki Gardens.
OSFRA’s actions over time have consistently depicted their utter disregard for the Courts and constituted authority including Lagos State Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning and by extension the Lagos State Government.
They deliberately ignore lawful advisory from Law Enforcement Agencies, copiously resort to self-help and then use some media platforms to report their baseless emotional outbursts without proffering any scientific basis, logical reasoning or legal backing.
It is obvious that OSFRA has no respect for the rule of law and by its recent actions, her Board of Trustees and Executives face possible jail terms for contempt of Court; for indeed no one is above the law.
