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By Lukman Olabiyi
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa of the Lagos Federal High Court has further restrained Nigeria Police Force and the Attorney General of the Federal (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), from arraigning a 76-year-old, ex-president of the Nigerian Indigenous Shipowners Association (NISA), Chief Isaac Jolapamo, over alleged illegal possession of firearms.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa extended the order yesterday, due to the absence of the respondents in the suit filed by Chief Jolapamo.
At yesterday’s hearing, Jolapamo’s counsel, Mr. Femi Falana, told the court that the respondents, despite being served with the hearing notice, failed to be in court. He told the court that counsel to first and third defendants, assured him of their presence in court for yesterday’s proceeding.
Falana urged the court to hear his client’s application prior to December 2, which was the proposed date to arraign him over an allegation ‘he has been cleared off”. He consequently, asked the court for a short adjournment date and for the court to order parties to maintain status quo, till the hearing and determination of the applicant’s suit.
Following the submission made by Falana (SAN), Justice Lewis-Allagoa ordered parties to maintain status quo till the hearing and determination of the suit. The matter has been adjourned till November 24.
Chief Jolapamo’s lawyer, Falana (SAN) had approached the court to seek an order to restrain IGP and AGF either by themselves, servants or privies from arranging his client, via charge No. FHC/L/404C/22, alleging illegal possession of firearms at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, pending the final determination of the origination motion, herein.
In affidavit in support of the suit, deposed to by the applicant, Jolapamo, he averred that the second respondent, Olufunke Otti Jolapamo, who wrote a petition against him on the alleged offence, was his wife who, until recently, lived together with him at No. 23 Olusegun Aina Street, Park-view Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos.
He averred that the aforementioned property was purchased for the sum of N420 million from the proceed of the sale of his vessels (Mor-Prosperity and Mor-Power, which were sold in November, 2017 at a price of over N800 million and the proceed was paid into the CTSR First Bank account of the second respondent.
Jolapamo alleged that trouble started when his wife informed him sometime on November 14, 2020, via WhatsApp message, of her intention to sell the aforementioned property.
