An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure has restrained the state government from demolishing structures at the state’s Trade Fair Complex along Igbatoro Road, Akure, the state capital.

In his judgement yesterday, Justice Adegboyega Adebusoye granted the application restraining the defendants from continuing with the demolition, pending the hearing of application for interlocutory injunction, which will come up on April 25, 2022.

The Guardian learnt that the state government had earlier issued quit notice to the owners of the structures in the complex to move their businesses to other location.

It had commenced the demolition but the structures’ owners kicked against the government action on the grounds that their rent on the land had not expired.

The victims and claimants, who were trading in the premises, through their counsel, Mr. Olumide Ogidan, had filled an interim injunction to forestall further demolition.

Defendants in the case include the Ondo State Government, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice as well as the Commissioner for Commerce, Investment and Corporative Services.

Ogidan had earlier prayed the court to restrain the defendants from going on with the demolition pending the hearing of application for interlocutory injunction

He said, “The main idea of this suit is against the purported quick notice served to the occupants of the trade fair complex who have existing lease agreement with the government and who have also been renewing their tenancy and leases.

“Some of them pay as far as February this year but surprisingly to their shock, they were served a notice to quit, dated March 24, 2022, informing them of the need to vacate the facilities they are occupying, on the grounds that the government tends to demolish the entire trade fair complex because they have an investor to give the place to.

“We feel that this is inappropriate because majority of these occupants have existing leases and tenancy agreement with the government and some of them have just renewed the said rent and the government is not talking about compensation.”