ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Ojukwu Transport Limited (OTL), a company founded by the late business magnate, Louis Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has petitioned the Nigeria Police Force, urging the Inspector-General of Police to intervene in the dispute over a property located at No. 4 Macpherson Avenue, Ikoyi Lagos, which it said has remained under police control since May 1, 2025.
The company, through a letter written by its lawyer, O. Ugolo, SAN, acting on the instruction of one of its directors, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu Jnr, asked the police chief to review the circumstances surrounding the takeover of the property and facilitate its release to the firm.
According to the company, officers attached to the Nigeria Police Force Zone 2 Command allegedly took over the premises on May 1, 2025, a public holiday, following a petition reportedly written on behalf of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.
OTL stated that persons identified as legal representatives of the minister, alongside other individuals and security personnel, were present when the police assumed control of the property.
The company said one of its directors later arrived at the premises and presented documents indicating that a warrant of execution had earlier been levied on the property and that OTL had taken possession of it with the knowledge of both the Ikoyi Divisional Police Office and the Lagos State Police Command.
However, the firm alleged that its workers were asked to vacate the premises shortly after, and the locks on the building were subsequently changed.
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The director was later invited to the Zone 2 Command where he made a statement and was directed to see the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the command.
According to OTL, the petition that prompted the police action alleged that unidentified persons had taken over the property.
The company, however, insisted it was lawfully occupying the premises based on an earlier court judgment.
OTL further noted that nearly ten months after the takeover, the property remains under police custody while the matter is said to still be under investigation.
Providing background to the dispute, the firm said a judgment delivered on June 1, 2018, by Justice Adedayo Oyebanji of the Lagos State High Court in Suit No. LD/794/2011 affirmed its ownership of several properties in Lagos, including the Ikoyi building.
The company stated that following the judgment, a warrant of possession was executed with the participation of law enforcement authorities, after which a certificate of completion of execution, known as Form O, was issued in July 2022.
However, OTL explained that further disputes later emerged after another judgment delivered in 2022 by Justice A. M. Lawal of the Lagos State High Court in Suit No. LD/1539/2012 granted possession and control of the Ikoyi property and four others to Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu in her capacity as next friend to her sons.
The company said it has already filed an appeal against that judgment, insisting that the certificate confirming its possession of the property remains valid pending the determination of the appeal or any order setting it aside.
OTL also stated that several related proceedings concerning the property were still pending before the courts at the time the police assumed control of the premises in May 2025.
The firm therefore appealed to the Inspector-General of Police to review the matter and direct the release of the building so it could resume work on the property.
According to the company, the premises have remained under police lock and key for an extended period and have deteriorated over time.
OTL maintained that it retains legal rights over the property unless a competent court rules otherwise, while urging members of the public to exercise caution in any dealings concerning the premises pending the resolution of the dispute in court.