By Wandoo Sombo
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), sitting in Maitama, has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to unseal a disputed property located at Lekki Peninsula Scheme in Lagos State.
Justice Othman Musa directed the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Lagos, to immediately unseal the property, which had earlier been sealed following an ex parte order granted by the court.
The property, sealed in December 2025, houses several business concerns, including Angelos Café, Zevis Pharmaceuticals, EOD PFM Ltd, and Lord of Hosts Miracle Church.
The order followed f a fundamental rights enforcement suit marked FCT/HC/CV/4636/2025, filed by Mr Henry Orabuchi against the police and others.
Orabuchi alleged that his fundamental rights under Sections 34, 35, 36, 37, 41 and 44 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), as well as Articles 9 and 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, had been violated.
He claimed to have purchased 3,000 square metres of reclaimed land situated behind Plot A, Block 12, Lekki Peninsula Scheme, from the landlord, Mr Emecheta Eze, insisting that the land was separate from the property occupied by the affected businesses.
The suit followed a police invitation issued to Orabuchi over a petition by Prof. Mike Ozekhome, SAN, counsel to Eze, alleging criminal trespass, property damage and threat to life.
Counsel to the applicant, Chikaosolu Ojukwu, SAN, argued that the police invitation infringed on Orabuchi’s fundamental rights and was intended to compel him to relinquish his proprietary and contractual interests in the disputed land.
Justice Musa had, on Nov. 24, 2025, granted an interim order sealing the property and halting all activities on the premises pending determination of the substantive suit.
Delivering judgment, the court held that the applicant was entitled to his constitutional rights to personal liberty, freedom of movement and ownership of property.
“It is hereby declared that the 1st respondent, whether acting through the 2nd respondent, any other officer under its command and control, including the 3rd and 4th respondents, or any section, unit or department however described, cannot, under the guise of an investigation, invite, arrest, detain, or otherwise harass the applicant.
“This is becaise the dispute is purely civil and contractual in nature.
“The interim order of this court made on Nov. 24, 2025 has, upon the final determination of this suit, spent its force and ceased to have any operative effect; nevertheless, for the avoidance of any doubt, the said order is hereby expressly set aside.
“Consequently, the 1st to 4th respondents are hereby ordered either by themselves or through the assistant inspector-general of police, Zone 2, Lagos state, to forthwith unseal the property in dispute preserved to avoid its destruction,” the court held.
“This is the judgment of this court.”(NAN) (www.nannews.ng)