Daud Olatunji
The scheduled hearing of the case involving De Renaissance Patriots Foundation and the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum against the Lagos State Government and other defendants over the controversial $100 million land deal with Aliko Dangote failed to proceed on Tuesday, due to the absence of the presiding judge and the defendants.
The case, which centers on a Freedom of Information (FOI) request regarding the payment Dangote allegedly made for 7,000 acres of land in Ibeju-Lekki, was expected to be mentioned at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos.
However, journalists who arrived to cover the proceedings reported that the presiding judge, Justice Ayoola Olayinka Faji, did not sit, and neither the Lagos State Government, the Attorney General, nor the other named defendants appeared in court.
Representatives of the applicants, De Renaissance Patriots and the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum, were present in court, along with affected natives from the Ibeju-Lekki area.
Disappointed by the absence of the judge and defendants, the natives gathered in the court premises, chanting slogans of solidarity and resilience.
They were heard singing, “Solidarity forever, we shall always fight for our right.”
The applicants’ legal counsel, Yakubu Eleto Esq, expressed frustration over the stalled proceedings, stating, “The absence of the judge, Lagos State Government, the state’s Attorney General, and other defendants frustrated the hearing of the $100 million Dangote land deal case today.
While it is understandable that the judge has discretion not to come to court, the failure of the defendants to appear is unacceptable, especially as we seek clarity on how they handled the $100 million paid by Dangote for the Ibeju-Lekki natives’ land.”
The case revolves around a controversial land deal in which Dangote allegedly paid $100 million to the Lagos State Government for land used to build the Dangote Refinery.
The applicants, De Renaissance Patriots and Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum, filed the suit on September 6, 2024, demanding full transparency regarding the transaction.
They are seeking information on whether the payment was made and how the money was allocated or used, citing concern over the lack of public disclosure and accountability.
The suit, filed under the Freedom of Information Act and relevant sections of the Nigerian Constitution, joins the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; the Attorney General of Lagos State; the Accountant General of Lagos State; the Permanent Secretary of the Lands Bureau, and the Lagos State Government as defendants.
The applicants are demanding a detailed account of how the $100 million was collected in exchange for the Ibeju-Lekki land and how the funds were managed, given the ongoing plight of the local people who have been affected by the land acquisition.
Despite the delay in proceedings, no new date has been fixed for the next hearing, leaving the applicants and their legal team in limbo as they await further action from the court.
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