DANGOTE’S $100M LAND DEAL: Judge, Attorney-General, other defendants’ absence stalls court sitting on De Renaissance Patriots’ FOI suit

By KEMI KASUMU

The case filed by De Renaissance Patriots Foundation and Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum scheduled to come up mention on Tuesday October 22, 2024 was stalled by absence of judge, Lagos State Government, Attorney General and the other two defendants.

Journalists on ground to observe the proceedings report that representatives of the applicants were, however, in court only to see that the judge, Justice Ayoola Olayinka Faji, did not sit and that none of the defendants showed up.

As it became obvious that the court was not going to sit, the affected natives were seen in the court premises singing slogan of commitment and and resilience saying, “Solidarity forever, we shall always fight for our right.”

Speaking on the development, legal counsel to the applicants, Yakubu Eleto Esq, said, “The judge did not sit. Our people were in court and, as you can see, the absence of judge, Lagos State government, the state’s Attorney General and other defendants frustrated hearing of the $100 million Dangote’s land deal money today the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

“Why it is understandable that the judge has a discretion of not to come to court, the defendants, who are being requested to tell the public about how they spent the $100 million paid to them by Dangote over the 7,000 acres land of Ibeju-Lekki natives used to build the Dangote Refinery, failed to come to court.

“However, De Renaissance and Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum representatives, who are the applicants, were present in court as shown clearly in the photographs taken on the premises of the court,” he said.

It could be recalled that De Renaissance Patriots Foundation joined by Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum had on Friday September 6, 2024 dragged the Lagos State Government and three other defendants including the Attorney-General before the court to be compelled to release information about whether or not Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s claim that he paid them $100 million was true or false.

If the claim was true, they were required to give detailed account as to how such huge amount in hard currency was collected in exchange for the poor Ibeju-Lekki people’s land and why there was no public statement to the effect, and then to state to which account the money was paid and what it was used for.

This was contained in an originating motion, brought under 1. Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended. 2. Sections 1,3,4,7,20 and 24 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011 and 3. Inherent jurisdiction of the Honourable Court in the matter of application by 1. De Renaissance Patriots Foundation and 2. Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum, who are the Applicants, joining 1. Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, 2. Attorney General of Lagos State, 3. Accountant General of Lagos State, 4. Permanent Secretary, Lands Bureau, Laos State and 5. Lagos State Government, who are the Respondents.