Court Bars Police From Arresting Oba Elegushi

Justice Gafar Safari of the Lagos High Court sitting in Tafa Balewa Square on Thursday, barred the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), from arresting the Elegushi of Ikate Kingdom in Lagos, Oba Shaheed Ademola Elegushi, and two others.

The judge ruled that the order subsists pending the hearing and determination of a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by them.

Oba Elegushi and two members of the Elegushi royal family; Chief Abdulahi Elegushi and Prince Akeem Elegushi, had filed a suit accusing the defendants of harassment, manhunt and attempt to arrest them over a civil land matter.

Joined alongside the IGP are Bela Vista Property and Development Company Ltd; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kolo Yusuf; DSP Ibrahim Agu; one Supol Udofia and Lagos Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice as the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th respondents respectively.

The respondents were also accused of an alleged plot to grab land belonging to the family at the Eti-Osa Local Government Area (LGA), of Lagos State.

The lawyer to the royal family, Mrs. Adepeju Omotayo, told the court at the resumed hearing of the matter on Thursday, that the police had sent its men to Ikate seeking to arrest them to frustrate the case before the court.

But the first respondent’s counsel, Anthony Osara, denied the police had sent its men to arrest the applicants.

The counsel to the second to fifth respondents, Victor Okoye, also urged the court to discountenance the applicants’ request for a restraining order, adding the police were never deployed to the house of the royal family to arrest anybody.

In a bench ruling, Justice Safari ordered all the parties to maintain the status quo and refrain from doing anything to frustrate the proceedings pending the hearing and determination of the suit.

The case was subsequently adjourned till August 17 for a hearing.