Lagos indigenes sue Sanwo-Olu, others over Dangote’s $100m land deal

A group of indigenes from Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, has filed a lawsuit against the Lagos state government, demanding details of the $100 million payment allegedly made by Aliko Dangote to acquire the land used for his refinery.

They also allege that only $1.4 million is reflected in the state’s account, leaving $98.6 million unaccounted for.

The residents, under the Ibeju-Lekki People’s Forum, claim that Dangote’s statement in July that he paid $100 million for the 7,000 acres of land contradicts the belief that the land was given to him for free.

The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, names Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos state attorney-general, the accountant-general, and the permanent secretary of the lands bureau as respondents.

The residents allege, in the affidavits attached to the suit, that “about 48 communities affected by the allocation (of the 7,000 acres) on the coastal line of Ibeju-Lekki were displaced by the activities of Dangote and his company and the subsequent destruction of their means of livelihood”.

They claim that despite Dangote’s statement, the state government has failed to respond to the allegation or provide proof of the payment.

However, in the suit filed, the forum and De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, are asking the court to compel the Lagos state government to give an account of the $100 million payment.

The deponent, Yakubu Eleto, youth leader and leader adviser to the first and second applicants, also revealed in the affidavit that former Lagos State governor, Babajide Fashola, had announced at a gathering of traditional rulers in Ibeju-Lekki that the land was gifted to Dangote.

This, Eleto claimed, led to the affected communities accepting the land allocation as a swap for development.

“He said the land where Dangote refinery is sitting on today was gifted to him by the Lagos State Government, and that if Ibeju-Lekki indigenes aren’t careful, the project will be taken to another part of the state like Badagry,” Eleto said.

“That pursuant to the above address by the then Executive Governor, the indigenes of the community accepted the plea of the government by maintaining peace and taking the 7000 Acres of land allocated to Dangote as a swap for development.”

The applicants, however, noted that they were surprised at Dangote’s claim of purchasing the land, noting that despite the alleged purchase, the affected communities continue to lack basic social amenities, electricity, pipe-borne water, good roads, schools, and employment, while also facing significant environmental threats.

“That till the time of filling this suit, the office of the 1st Respondents acting for the remainder of the respondents refused to respond to Applicants’ correspondence.

“That there are speculations from some quarters that only $1,400,000 that reflected on the account of the 5th Respondents concerning the said transaction and up till now, the applicants are yet to know where the remaining 98,600,000:00USD are being kept.

“That all efforts to get a copy of the full information on the alleged claim of purchase of about 7000 acres of land proved futile despite persistent demand for the documents showing the inflow of the money to the 5th respondent’s account.”

They argued that despite repeated demands, the Lagos State government did not honour their letter nor obliged them with a copy of full information on the alleged claim of purchase of about 7000 acres of land.

The applicants, however, prayed to the court to compel the respondents “to immediately furnish or make the information on the alleged claim of purchase of about 7000 acres of land available to the applicants through the applicant’s solicitors forthwith.”