Justice Valentine Ashi of an FCT High Court, on Monday, ordered IMAD Group of Companies to pay over N16.5 million in fine over rent default.
Justice Ashi gave the order in a judgment delivered in a suit filed against IMAD Group by Contract Venture Ltd.
In the judgment, Justice Ashi upheld the plaintiff’s claims of illegal locking up of a property rented to IMAD group for two years without rent payment.
The judge ordered the defendant to pay N16 million as a “mean profit’’ which ought to have accrued to the plaintiff.
Ashi also ordered the defendant to pay another N570, 000 being the money spent for the rehabilitation of the property by the plaintiff and N40, 000 post judgment interests.
Contract Venture, the plaintiff had in Nov. 2013 dragged the defendant before the court for default in rent on the property situated at Cadastral Zone OA, Central Area, Abuja.
The plaintiff alleged that the defendant locked up the office building for two years after the expiration of its rent in July, 2011.
It alleged that the plaintiff locked up the building between the periods of August 2011 to September 2013 and disallowed others who had interest in renting the space.
The plaintiff also alleged that the defendant did not carry out the necessary rehabilitation in the building occasioned by improper management of facilities.
Contract Venture Ltd. had claimed the sum of N16 million being the income it would have made on the building between August 2011 and September 2013.
The company had also claimed N570, 000 for the rehabilitation of the property.
The defendant neither entered an appearance nor defended the case.
NAN
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