A group of purchasers of properties at Richmond Pearl Estate, Lekki, Lagos who bought from Haven Global Resources Limited (also known as Haven Homes) and who had completed payment of the purchase price, are fighting to prevent Haven Homes from charging them an inflated service charge of N10million before being given possession of their properties.
When the purchasers asked Haven Homes for a meeting to explain the inflated service charge, Haven Homes responded with a letter increasing the amount to N14 million and threatening to sell the property if the money was not received within 7 days.
However, the purchasers, represented by Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Lagos State, brought their application for an order of injunction, in the first instance, before Justice O. Atinuke Ipaye in Suit No. LD/7841/2024 who deemed it fit to grant the injunction/restraining order preventing Haven Global Resources Limited (Haven Homes) and its CEO, Sotayo Sonuga, their agents, servants, and/or privies from “re-allocating, re-selling, or selling the units, flats, apartments and blocks” of the purchasers and directing the defendants/respondents not to part with possession of the various units, flats, apartments purchased by the purchaser to any third parties”.
Parties then moved to file other applications. Haven Homes and Mr. Sonuga filed an application urging the court to lift the order as well as have an order placed on the claimants to prevent them from speaking to the press on the issue, claiming it to be defamation and libel. The purchasers sought to obtain an interlocutory injunction to preserve the subject matter of the suits until the final determination of the case.
When the applications came up for hearing, the presiding Judge, Justice Ipaye, refused the application of Haven Homes’ and Mr. Sotayo Sonuga to set aside the ex parte order granted earlier in favour of the purchasers. The court also refused to grant Haven Homes’ application to seek to gag the purchasers from speaking to the press about their plight. The court also re-emphasized and extended the life of the restraining orders against Haven Homes and Mr Sotayo Sonuga. Speaking to the gulf in the position of the parties, Justice Ipaye, said it was appropriate to order for accelerated hearing of the case.
After granting the orders, Justice Ipaye, outside the orders made, admonished Haven Homes’ counsel to advise his clients not to resort to self-help and to ensure the orders of the court are not violated or treated with lefty.