The Lagos State Government is facing a lawsuit following a claim made by business tycoon Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who stated that he paid $100 million to the state government for the Dangote refinery project. Dangote had previously asserted that this payment was made to facilitate the refinery deal.
The lawsuit, filed at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, seeks to verify the legitimacy of these claims. The applicants, De Renaissance Patriots Foundation and Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum, are calling on the Lagos State Government to provide a transparent financial account of the transaction. They raised concerns about the lack of a public statement on a transaction of such significance.
The suit was filed under Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), along with Sections 1, 3, 4, 7, 20, and 24 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, and the inherent jurisdiction of the court.
The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Attorney General, the Accountant General, the Permanent Secretary of the Lands Bureau, and the Lagos State Government have been listed as the 1st to 5th respondents in the case, which was registered as FHC/L/CS/1603/2024 at 1:20 pm on Friday, September 6, 2024.
The applicants are seeking a court order mandating the respondents to disclose all relevant details of the transaction. Barrister Yakubu Eleto, the lead counsel for the applicants, stated that the establishment of the Dangote Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki has negatively impacted the livelihoods of the local people.
Eleto also referenced a public statement made by Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) in 2015, during his tenure as governor, where he claimed that Dangote was given the land for free to support Lagos’ economic development, and that no payment was made. These remarks appear to contradict Dangote’s admission of paying $100 million for the land.
Eleto further expressed concerns that the people of Ibeju-Lekki, who have been financially strained, are now hearing that $100 million was collected for their land without their knowledge. The applicants are seeking clarity on the whereabouts of the funds.
Eleto concluded by noting that the case would be assigned to a judge on Tuesday, September 10, 2024.
