The absence of a technical crew to facilitate the virtual appearance of a Nigerian-American engineer, Mr Anthony Ugbebor, in a property dispute, has stalled the case before a Lagos State High Court, sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square.
A property developer, Mr Olukayode Olusanya, and his company, Oak Homes Limited, sued Ugbebor, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over a property located in the Victoria Island area of Lagos State.
At the resumed proceedings before Justice Akingbola George, the court was told that the team responsible for setting up the Zoom connection was unavailable.
Counsel to the first defendant, Mr Nasiru Salau, reminded the court that it had earlier granted leave for his client to join the proceedings virtually.
He said all the payments for the virtual link had been made, and the Zoom details were received and forwarded to the defendant last Friday.
Salau explained that he contacted the court’s technical unit before the sitting began and was informed that the technical team was on their way. He added that the same team was also scheduled to handle another virtual proceeding between 10 am and 10:30 am before the court.
He, therefore, requested a brief stand-down to allow time for the technical setup.
However, the counsel to the claimants, Mr Adeleke Agboola (SAN), opposed the request, arguing that there was no certainty about when the technical team would arrive.
“I am objecting to the stand down. The first defendant has been attending proceedings virtually, and this court usually sits at 9 am, even when there is no power supply. If they are not ready today, I will ask for costs,” Agboola said.
In response, Salau dismissed the objection, stating, “The objection of the SAN is a misconception.
“It is not our duty to set up the Zoom link; the court has always handled that. We made the payment last week, and the link was sent. I will not concede any cost,” he said.
Justice George adjourned the case to November 25, 2025, for the defence to open its case.
The claimants, Olusanya and Oak Homes Limited, in suit number LD/4471LM/2023, sued Ugbebor (first defendant) and the EFCC (second defendant) over an alleged ownership dispute of a property valued at N152 million.
At the last hearing, Olusanya, the chief executive officer of Oak Homes Limited, denied receiving a letter purportedly sent by the EFCC on September 13, 2023, inviting him to collect a bank draft of N102 million from the commission.
