Educationist files N11bn suit against Sanwo-Olu over school demolition

A Lagos-based school owner, Paulin Eboagwu, and her husband, Daniel Eboagwu, have filed an N11bn suit against the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and six others before the Lagos State High Court over the alleged demolition of their school’s landed property in the Ilasan Lekki area of the state.

In the suit No LD/15612LMW/2024 dated July 16, 2024, and filed through their lawyer, Babatunde Ademoyo, the educationalist claimed that the land was delineated on Survey Plan No.KCO/902/006B (613/2018/LA) with the governor’s consent.

Other defendants in the suit are the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, a vested oil company, Sterling Oil and its affiliate Chronodexia Investment Nigeria Ltd, Milind Dettatraya Kukarani and persons unknown.

Thursday, the claimants said they bought the land from the Elegushi Property and Investment Company Limited, but the Indians attempted to appropriate a portion of it because it formed part of the land sold to them by Shell Cooperative Multipurpose Society.

“The claimants averred that the 5th (Chronodexia Investment Nigeria Ltd) and 6th (Milind Dettatraya Kukarani ), defendants, in a bid to frustrate the building plan approval and other regulatory permits, caused the 3rd and 4th defendants to place a Notice of Contravention on the fence of the land, alleging non-ownership of the land by our clients and non-approval of regulatory permits.”

Ademoyo said, “Upon the intervention of Oba Shaheed Elegushi and a letter written by the lawyer of Elegushi Mrs Bandele Omotayo, who also doubled as the solicitor to the claimants, all the title documents, drawings, and soil tests were provided to the 3rd and 4th defendants under their compliance with regulatory and building approvals.

“The 3rd defendant, upon receipt of the building approval documents and evidence of initial payment of statutory fees, issued a covering notice titled ‘construction under supervision’ with serial No. LASBCA/LIL/000/58 to enable our clients to continue their work on-site.

“The claimants averred that despite compliance with all the demands of the 3rd and 4th defendants, the officers of the 3rd and 4th defendants, along with other unknown persons and armed thugs numbering 300, descended on the property with extreme violence and demolished it.

“The claimants averred that the property in question is a three-story school complex with a rectangular footprint measuring 1,580 square meters,”.

The claimants are asking the court for a declaration that they are the owners of the parcel of land measuring 1,580.565 square metres and a declaration that the act of forceful entry and demolition of their property by the defendants, jointly and severally, is unlawful.

They also prayed the court for the sum of N1bn only as general damages against the defendants, jointly and severally, for the emotional distress caused by the unlawful demolition of the property.

The claimants further asked for the sum of N10bn as special and general damages against the defendants, jointly and severally, for losses incurred by the claimants as a result of the illegal trespass and demolition carried out by the defendants.

“An order of the court compelling the defendants, jointly and severally, to publish a notice of apology for the emotional distress caused to the claimants and the Elegushi Chieftaincy family for the invasion of the Elegushi Royal family land by mobs and thugs, causing a total breakdown of law and order and physical assault on Chief Segun Elegushi, the Opemoluwa of Ikate, Lekki, Lagos.

“A perpetual injunction restraining the defendants, their agents, privies, and whosoever acting on their behalf, from further trespass, in any manner whatsoever, or interfering with the claimants’ right to peaceful use and enjoyment of the property.”

When our correspondent contacted the Commissioner for Information, Gbenga Omotoso, to confirm the case, he said he was not aware of any case.
He said, “I am not aware of any suit against the governor.”