High Court Grants Order to Serve Contempt Notice to IGP and Wife Through National Publication After Alleged Demolition

Court Grants Order to Serve Form 48 (Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Order of Court) on the Inspector General of Police and his wife Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun through substituted means by publishingany National Daily 

The High Court sitting in Ikeja has granted the prayers of the Claimants the; Incorporated Trustees of Computer Mega City Infotech Dealers Association and Computer Dealer Association Ikeja. Honourable Justice L. B. Lawal-Akapo made the order upon the application of the Counsel to traders who previously occupied the POWA Phases I and II shopping Complex, Computer Village, Ikeja. 

The traders commenced contempt proceedings against the Inspector General of Police, his wife Mrs. Elizabeth Egbetokun and the Managing Director of Achieving Greatness Limited; Mr. Emmanuel Ojibo for the willful disobedience of the order of the Court dated the 18^th day of December, 2023, by demolishing the properties lying and situate at No. No. 30-33, Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos State, when the matter was pending before the Court. 

This Court had earlier granted the Order of pre-emotive remedies restraining the wife of the IG and the Developers amongst others from demolishing the property known as No. Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos State pending the full compliance with the pre-action protocol and filing of the substantive action in this suit dated 18^th of December, 2023.

Despite the above extant order of the Court, IGP sanctioned the demolition of the complex throwing over (1000) computer/information technology traders out of business. The demolition was carried out around 12:30 am on 30^th of December, 2023, with about 300 heavily armed policemen on guard. 

The traders had made serious efforts to serve Form 48 (Notice of Consequences of Disobedience to Order of Court) on the IGP, his wife, developer and other contemnors but the processes were refused by the Policemen including service on the legal department at SCID, Panti. Thereby leaving the traders with no option other than to seek the leave of the Court to serve the contemnors by pushing same in the National daily.