Lekki Gardens accuses Osborne Foreshore Residents of flouting court order

Friday, August 6, 2021 10:49 am

Osborne Foreshore entrance gate

By Akin Kuponiyi

In defiance of the court order issued by Justice Oyekan-Abdullai on the 1st of July 2020 in a suit filed by Lekki Gardens Estate Limited against Osborne Foreshore Residents Association (OSFRA) and its principal officers at the High Court of Lagos State in which the court ordered the Parties to maintain status quo, the leadership of Osborne Foreshore Residents Association (OSFRA) has locked the entrance gate to the estate thereby denying the workers and contractors of Lekki Gardens Limited access to carry out their lawful duties.

According to the Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary, Lekki Gardens Limited, Barrister Steve Agbiboa, who was at the gate of the estate from very early hours of the day, the estate residents ordered the security to put the gate under lock and key and stationed Mobile Police officer there to prevent the workers from gaining entrance into the estate.

Following the incessant disturbances and threats from the Osborne Foreshore Residents Association (OSFRA) in preventing Lekki Gardens Estate Limited to carry out its legitimate job, the company challenged in court the authority of OSFRA to unilaterally deny it lawful access to its sites as duly approved by the Lagos State Government.

The locking of the gates against all users in their bid to unlawfully deny Lekki Garden workers access to the Estate, resulted to traffic jam extended to the Osborne, Ikoyi road, toward third Mainland Bridge thereby constituting serious hardship to the general public and innocent road users.

Mr Agbiboa stated further that the court order is still subsisting and valid, therefore the action of the Osborne Foreshore Residents Association (OSFRA) is Subjudice to that order.

He stated that despite the intervention of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Dolphin Estate Police Station, Ahmed Abdulkareem, the Chairperson, Chinwe Ezenwa-Mbah, refused to open the gate.

The DPO and his team however helped to manage the free flow of traffic due to the congestion caused by the blockage.