The Federal High Court, sitting in Lagos State, has restrained Wale Adenuga Production Limited (WAPL) and its Chief Executive Officer, Chief Wale Adenuga, from producing or publishing a television series, The Village Headmaster.
Justice Mohammed Liman ruled that the Anton Piller-type order would subsist pending the hearing of an interlocutory injunction.
An Anton Piller Order is made ex-parte (without notice) and requires a Defendant or Respondent to allow certain persons to enter his premises to search for documents and movable articles as are specified in the court order and to permit such documents or articles to be taken away.
The Plaintiff, Olujimi Olusola, sued as the executor and beneficiary of the estate of the late Amb. Olusegun Olusola.
The Plaintiff is claiming proprietary rights to the series.
Wale Adenuga Production, Chief Adenuga and the Nigeria Television Authority are the defendants in the suit numbered FHC/L/CS/117/2021.
After hearing the plaintiff’s counsel Prof Bankole Sodipo and Segun Suleiman, Justice Liman directed the defendants to, within 24-hours of being served with the order, deliver to the custody of the court or the plaintiff’s counsel all documents and invoices relating to production, distribution, importation or broadcasting to the public the Village Headmaster without the permission of the plaintiff.
The court also ordered the defendants to disclose to the bailiff of the court who shall serve the order upon them the names addresses of all persons, companies responsible for supplying any merchandise product of the characters in the Village Headmaster.
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The court also directed the defendants to disclose the date and quantities of such supply as well as the names and addresses of all the persons, firm and companies who are parties or associated with the defendants concerning the Village Headmaster series.
The court granted an order permitting the plaintiff or his counsel, court bailiff and police officers accompanying them to break open the defendants’ premises where anything relating to the Village Headmaster is being kept.
Justice Liman further restrained the defendants from merchandising the Village Headmaster or the characters therein in any format whatsoever without the plaintiff’s permission pending the determination of the motion on notice for interlocutory injunction.
Justice Liman granted the defendants the liberty to apply to the court to vary or discharge the orders upon giving 48-hour notice to the plaintiff’s counsel.
He adjourned until March 11 for the hearing of the interlocutory injunction.
