Ojukwu Property Requests IGP’s Help Over Alleged Enforcement of Judgment in Appeal Case

Wale Igbintade

Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL) has written to the Inspector‑General of Police (IGP) requesting intervention in what it says is an attempt to enforce a court judgment that is currently under appeal. The dispute involves several high‑value properties in Lagos.

In a letter dated 8 May 2026, the company alleged that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs Bianca Ojukwu, and her legal team were seeking to execute a warrant of possession based on a 2022 judgment delivered by Justice A.M. Lawal in Suit No. LD/1539/2012.

OTL contended that the proposed enforcement is improper and unlawful because the judgment remains under appeal and should not be executed until the appellate court has decided the matter.

The firm also noted that the properties in question had previously been the subject of a separate judgment delivered on 1 June 2018 by Justice Adedayo Oyebanji in Suit No. LD/794/2011, which it said was lawfully executed.

According to OTL, the execution of the 2018 judgment affected five properties located at 4 Macpherson Avenue, 29 Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, 13 Ojora Road, and 30 Gerrard Avenue in Ikoyi, as well as 32 Commercial Avenue, Yaba.

The company maintained that the exercise was carried out with the participation of the Lagos State Police Command and the Sheriff’s Department, with all statutory procedures, including the issuance of Form O, duly complied with.

OTL also recalled an incident on 1 May 2025, when it alleged that operatives of the Police Zone 2 Command, accompanied by lawyers, took over one of the disputed properties at 4 Macpherson Avenue, Ikoyi.

The firm claimed the action was based on misleading information and noted that petitions it submitted to police authorities in August 2025 and January 2026 over the incident have yet to receive any response.

Providing an update on the ongoing litigation, OTL stated that during a recent hearing in a Form 49 contempt proceeding arising from Suit No. LD/1539/2012, the presiding judge informed the parties that the court file might have already been transmitted to the Court of Appeal.

The matter was subsequently adjourned to 22 June 2026.

The company warned that any attempt by law enforcement agencies or court officials to carry out a fresh execution of the warrant while related issues remain pending before the courts and the police authorities would amount to an unlawful act.

OTL therefore urged the Inspector‑General of Police to intervene and prevent what it described as a “repeat execution” of the affected properties pending the determination of all outstanding legal and appellate proceedings.

The company also renewed its demand for the immediate release of property it alleged was unlawfully seized.