High Court Stops Lagos Move Against 80-Year-Old Widow's Lekki Estate

A Lagos State High Court, situated in Yaba, has issued an interim order preventing the Lagos State Government and four other entities from seizing or interfering with a contentious property belonging to an 80-year-old widow in Lekki Peninsula Scheme I. The ruling, delivered by Justice E.O. Ashade, will remain in effect until a motion on notice is fully heard.

The suit was initiated by Chief H.A.K. Shonowo, who is pursuing legal action on her own behalf and as a representative of her late husband's estate, Chief Owodiran Olusoga Shonowo. Named as defendants in the case are the Lagos State Government, the Attorney-General of Lagos State, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Gary Sanusi, and Dillon Consultants Nigeria Limited. Through her legal representative, Babatunde Oni (SAN), the claimant informed the court of the hardships she had endured due to the defendants' actions, urging the court to safeguard the property until the primary suit is resolved.

At the heart of the dispute is a development comprising 11 units of four-bedroom terrace houses, three units of three-bedroom flats, one two-bedroom flat, and a commercial shop. These structures are built on a parcel of land measuring approximately 4,000 to 4,300 square metres, located at Block 113, Plot Health Centre, within the Lekki Peninsula Scheme I area of Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State.

In granting the application, Justice Ashade determined that the claimant had presented compelling reasons for the interim relief. The judge stated, “I am unable, therefore, to find any cogent reasons why the application of the claimant/applicant should be refused, as I find the arguments of the learned senior counsel to be meritorious.” He further added, “I am, therefore, inclined to agree with the submissions of the learned senior counsel that it is in the best interest of justice to grant this application.”

The court also emphasized a fundamental legal principle: parties involved in ongoing litigation must refrain from any actions that could undermine the court's jurisdiction. Justice Ashade affirmed, “It is trite law that when a court is seized of a matter, parties should not do anything that will impact on the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter in any manner whatsoever.” The judge concluded that the alleged actions by the defendants, if unchecked, could impede the court's ability to adjudicate the matter fairly.

Consequently, the court explicitly barred the defendants—including their agents, servants, privies, or representatives—from taking possession of, reassigning, transferring, interfering with, or otherwise dealing with the claimant's asserted right to possession of the property, pending the resolution of the motion on notice. Furthermore, the fourth and fifth defendants were specifically restrained from transferring the disputed property to any other individual until the pending application is decided.

As a prerequisite for the interim injunction, the court instructed the claimant to submit an undertaking for the sum of N1 million. This sum would serve to indemnify the defendants should it later be determined that the order ought not to have been granted.

Court documents reveal that Chief Shonowo and her late husband were initially allocated a larger plot of land, approximately 7,312.865 square metres, in 1996, secured by a Certificate of Occupancy issued by the Lagos State Government. The claimant stated that the government revoked this right of occupancy via a letter dated October 7, 2020. Following an appeal, the government reallocated 4,000 square metres of the land to her through a letter dated May 17, 2021, with a subsequent survey indicating the actual size to be around 4,300 square metres.

The claimant further detailed that she accepted this reallocation and subsequently entered into a joint venture agreement with the fourth and fifth defendants for the property's development. Under this agreement, the developers were slated to construct 22 units of four-bedroom terrace houses, six units of three-bedroom flats, and two units of two-bedroom flats. Her entitlement from this development was to be 11 units of the four-bedroom terrace houses, three units of the three-bedroom flats, one two-bedroom flat, and a commercial shop, with the remaining units allocated to the developers.

Construction reportedly began in 2021, with Chief Shonowo's share of the completed development expected by August 31, 2023. However, she alleged that despite repeated demands since December 2025, the developers failed to deliver her allocated units, citing the need for additional time to complete fittings and fixtures before promising delivery by March 31, 2026. She further claimed that on March 27, 2026, the fifth defendant, acting through the fourth defendant, informed her via WhatsApp of the Lagos State Government's intention to reclaim the entire 4,000/4,300 square metres reallocated to her.

Chief Shonowo maintained that her contractual relationship was solely with the fourth and fifth defendants, asserting that she had no contractual dealings with the Lagos State Government, the Attorney-General, or the Governor. Justice Ashade has adjourned the case to July 9, 2026, for the hearing of the motion on notice.