The case, Suit No LD/ADR/251/2015, was filed on 19th August,
2015 by the Anambra group through its leader, Mr. Chizuo Anetoh. They dragged
Runtown, Ericmany Entertainment and Prince Okwudili Umenyiora, the billionaire
Chairman of Dilly Motors Limited and Ericmany Entertainment before the Lagos
High Court, claiming the sum of N14 Million as damages for failure of Runtown
to perform at their Harmattan Carnival held at Adazi-Nnukwu, Anaocha in Anambra
State.
Ericmany lawyers, Chijioke Emeka & Colleagues [Auxano
Law] argued that the group first breached the contract having failed to provide
all that was required and in good time for the artiste to make the appearance.
Ericmany’s case was that the group made inadequate and shoddy arrangements.
Being the Christmas period, Ericmany’s crew had to sort out late hour flight
tickets to Port Harcourt instead of Asaba or Owerri nearer to the Anaocha
venue. Upon landing in Port Harcourt it was late to proceed on a dangerous
night road journey without adequate security, Ericmany’s lawyer claimed.
During the trial on 10th May, 2018, Mr. Aneto testified for
his group. He narrated how Runtown flew from Lagos to Port Harcourt but refused
to further proceed on the road journey to Adazi, even after they engaged a
police escort for him at the airport. Ericmany’s witness, Amani Henshaw gave an
account of the breaches of the contract by the group, especially its failure to
provide flight tickets for the crew and failure to provide sufficient security
for the night road journey to Anambra State.
He told the Court how his team waited for many hours at the airport
until it became very late and they had to cancel the trip.
In his judgment, Hon. Justice K. O. Alogba gave victory to
Ericmany. The Judge found that the failure of Runtown to get to Adazi in
Anambra State and perform at the carnival was justified as the group’s
arrangement was very shoddy. The Court agreed with Ericmany that the Dynamic
Minds League was reckless about the contract when it failed to book flight
tickets ahead. The Court also held that the group did not prove how they are
entitled to their N14 Million claim as it did not adduce cogent evidence. Each
of the claims was therefore dismissed.
Justice came the way of Ericmany Entertainment barely three
years after the Dynamic Minds League flooded the print media, social media and
several blogs with news of the alleged breach of contract and its N14 Million
suit against Ericmany and Runtown.
