Pastor Adefarasin, Gerald Chukwueke In A Bitter Feud Over Lekki Properties

FUNSHO AROGUNDADE

The ongoing legal battle between famous preacher, Pastor Paul Adefarasin of the House On The Rock and auto magnate, Gerald Chukwueke over some properties in Ikate-Elegushi, Lekki seems to be generating a bitter row as the businessman has approached the appeal court to commit the pastor to prison for contempt.

Chukwueke and four Others (Chinelo Chukwueke, Mrs. Martha Chukwueke, Germaine Logistics Limited & Germaine Auto Centre Limited) have urged the Lagos Division of the Court of Appeal to commit to prison, Adefarasin and his church, House on the Rock for allegedly disobeying a court order restraining them from further trespassing on a land located in the Lekki area of the state.

For some time now, Chukwueke, the wealthy owner of Germaine Autos, Lekki has been embroiled in a legal tussle with the flamboyant preacher over some lands on Plots 15, 16, 17 and 18 located at Ikate, Lekki, Lagos.

P.M.EXPRESS gathered that Adefarasin, through his Rock Foundation, has allegedly acquired the properties via a Deed of Third Party Legal Mortgage between Diamond Bank Plc and Germaine Logistics Limited and Germaine Auto Centre Limited executed on March 5, 2012 mortgaging the property in favour of the bank.

Adefarasin then attempted to take possession on the conclusion of the acquisition of those properties but Chukwueke was to vehemently oppose the sales of the properties belonging to his company.

He claimed that investigation revealed that the purported acquisition of the property was fraudulent.

The businessman then approached the court.

Justice Adebisi Akinlade of the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere had on March 17, 2016 granted an interim order of injunction restraining Adefarasin and the church, or their servants, agents or privies from demolishing or removing any structure whatsoever be they temporary or permanent on those premises.

Specifically, Justice Akinlade on April 7, 2016 after listening to counsel for the parties ordered that status quo be maintained by the parties pending the hearing of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.

But Adefarasin and other defendants filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection praying the court to dismiss the suit for lack of jurisdiction, a prayer that was equally dismissed by the Judge.

Dissatisfied with the dismissal of their Notice of Preliminary Objection, Adefarasin and his church appealed the ruling and transmitted the Record of Appeal to the Court of Appeal.

However, while the appeal is yet to be mentioned, Adefarasin was said to have mobilized armed policemen, soldiers and bulldozers, and stormed the land which is a subject matter of the law suit and commenced demolition of the structures on the property in disobedience of the Order of Court.

When Chukwueke and Germaine Autos’ lawyer wrote to Adefarasin and the church over this illegal action, they responded that they acquired ownership and possession of the property by virtue of a Deed of Assignment registered as No. 98 in volume 2513, executed in their favour by Diamond Bank Plc.

But the claimants alleged that their investigations had revealed that the purported acquisition of the property was fraudulent.

According to them a forged Deed of third Party Legal Mortgage between Diamond Bank Plc and the 4th and 5th claimants was purportedly executed on March 5, 2012 mortgaging the property in favour of the bank.

The claimants also alleged that the deed was not executed by the directors or any authorised signatory of the two Germaine companies.

Chukwueke and other claimants, in a Motion on Notice filed on their behalf by Moyo Onigbanjo SAN, before the appellate court alleged that Adefarasin and his church have breached the lower court’s order.

They are therefore asking the Appeal court for an order restraining Adefarasin and his church from demolishing, constructing and or redeveloping the disputed land in any manner whatsoever pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed by the appellants.

They are also praying the appellate court for an order directing Adefarasin and his church to reinstate/restore premises to the state it was on April 7, 2016 when the lower court ordered that status quo as at March 18, 2016 be maintained by the parties.

Imo State-born auto merchant and his co-claimants are also seeking an order for committal of Adefarasin and his church for the breach of the lower court’s order.

They are therefore seeking the sum of N800 million as damages for the trespass.

The claimants are also asking the court for a declaration that the Deed of Assignment between Diamond bank and the Incorporated Trustees of the Rock Foundation be declared null, void and of no effect whatsoever.

The claimants are praying the court for an order directing the Lagos State Government and the Registrar of Titles, Lagos State Land Registry to revoke the Deed of third Party Legal Mortgage between Diamond bank and the Incorporated Trustees of the Rock Foundation.”

Pastor Adefarasin’s eye-popping multi-billion naira The Rock Cathedral sits on a stretch of land in Ikate-Elegushi, Lekki, Lagos.

Meanwhile, either Pastor Adefarsin or his church media department could be reached for comments at at press time.