Court Stops Lagos Beauty Pageant Scheduled for March 30

The Federal High Court in Lagos wednesday issued an order restraining the Africa Beauty Queen International Pageant scheduled to hold on March 30, at the Lagos Oriental Hotel.

Justice Hadiza Rabiu-Shagari issued the orders, following an interlocutory application filed by Mr. Daniel Opuene, founder of “Beauty of Africa International Pageant,” seeking an order of restraint, on the said forthcoming pageant
Joined as first to third defendants in the suit are: Roses and Rubbies International Ltd, Precious Ogarekpe, and Lagos Oriental Hotel Ltd.

Opuene had filed the suit through the law firm of Creative Legal, seeking an order restraining the defendants, their agents or privies, from: “Staging any pageant on March 30, 2018, under the name of “Africa Beauty Queens International Pageant” or any other similar name, likely to suggest that the first and second defendant’s business, is similar with the plaintiff’s.

“Reproducing, publishing or distributing the pictures belonging to the plaintiff, in the said defendant’s beauty pageantry activities or any other business pending the final determination of the substantive suit.

At the last adjourned date on March 22, the court had ordered the plaintiff to put the defendants on notice, while the court had adjourned the suit for hearing of the motion on notice.

When the case was called yesterday, the plaintiff’s counsel, Mr. Justin Ige, informed the court that the defendants were yet to respond to his application in spite of having been served with the processes.
He added that he had not received any processes from the defence.

Moving his application, Ige told the court that the defendants are scheduled to hold the said “Africa Beauty Queen International Pageant, which name is similar to the plaintiff’s “Beauty of Africa International Pageant, on March 30 at the Lagos Oriental Hotel.

He argued that the plaintiff is also the registered owner of the business name, “Africa Beauty Queen International Pageant”, and urged the court to grant the application of the plaintiff and issue the restraining order.
In a short ruling, Justice Shagari granted the application as prayed, and ordered parties to maintain “status quo” pending the determination of the suit.

By “status quo” maintenance, parties are to stop or desist from taking any action or step in relation to the subject of the pending suit.

She adjourned the case till April 17, for hearing of the substantive suit.