Court Evicts Investment Company Owned By Fr. Mbaka Over Rent Default

Posted by Ignatius Okpara Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Sunday, May 12th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – An Enugu North Magistrate Court, has executed a Warrant for Possession of Premises occupied by Aqua Rapha Investment Company limited owned by fire brand Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka, the Spiritual Director of popular Adoration Prayer Ministry.

The company uses the rented apartment located at at No. 4 Savage Crescent, GRA, Enugu as depot for wholesale business distribution of her products at the heart of Enugu metropolis, but allegedly defaulted in paying the rent.

The eviction judgment pronounced friday, which lasted several hours, saw the company’s products, equipment, files and other documents evacuated from the building and dumped on the major road just opposite Shoprite main gate in Enugu.

While executing the eviction order, the court bailiff also recovered a sales vault containing a total cash of N773,520 before sealing and putting the building, which hitheto served as wholesale apartment of the company, under lock and key.

Explaining what led to the eviction, the Counsel to Dr. and Mrs Ben Ogbu, Barr. James Edeh, said that his client the property owners, are tried of the unfaithfulness of the managers of the company in paying agreed rent as contained in the signed tenancy agreement.

He noted that the company failed to abide fully with the initial three years tenancy agreement entered into in 2016 which elapsed in 2018.

“The company failed to pay an agreed installment of N300,000 meant for school fees for 2017 and 2018 after paying that of 2016 and lump sum of the tenancy agreement,” .

“Even when the initial agreed tenancy elapsed in 2018, the company find it difficult to come and renegotiate the agreement but waited after we took them to court to come drop N4 million without renegotiate or signing a fresh agreement to be supervised by me.”

“Before paying the N4 million after being in oblivion for some years, the company representative, Mr Nwankwo, was instructed to meet with me as the lawyer managing the property but he did not abide by the simple instruction.

“We have been in court since 2020 on this matter and we have repeatedly served the company and its lawyers; they only appeared once and no more. After waiting and being patient for many years, the court issued a Warrant for Possession of Premises by the original owner.”

Reacting to the development , lawyer to Aqua Rapha Investment company Ltd, Barr. Fidelis Okeke, said that the eviction was unfair, adding that “This is unlawful execution”.

Okeke said , the company is up to date with its rent payment, saying we have paid everything.

“I will go back to my chamber and study everything concerning this embarrassing execution and I will assure you it will not stand. By Monday, I will be in court to challenge this.

“The company will surely seek redress in court and claim huge damages for this insult and reputation damage,” he stated.