Court Further Restrains Chief Of Naval Staff, Nigerian Navy Over Lagos Communities’ Land 

A High Court in Lagos State, sitting in Epe Judicial Division and presided over by Hon Justice W. Animahun, has extended the lifespan of the Interim Injunctions, earlier granted against the Chief of Naval Staff and the Nigerian Navy.

P.M.EXPRESS reports that the High Court Justice had earlier in two separate matters – Al Gasali Global Ventures Ltd vs The Nigerian Navy and The Chief of Naval Staff  EPD/15713/LMW/2024 and the Incorporated Trustees of Lekki Coastal Area Development Association  vs Nigerian Navy and Chief of Naval  Staff EPD/15715/LMW/2024 respectively, granted an Interim Injunction restraining the “defendants, their officers, agents, workmen, artisans or anybody from further trespassing and further demolishing the claimants/applicants’ building or any other manner interfering with the ownership, control, possession and management of a large expanse of land lying at Origanrigan, Oshoroko and Lekki in Ibeju Lekki Local Government area of Lagos State.

Justice Animahun, while expanding the lifespan of the earlier Interim Injunction ruled that, “I am inclined to grant it because the defendants have been served with the Enrolled Order on Pre Emptive Relief expected to ignite Pre Action Protocol”.

“Accordingly, the motion is granted. The Order is renewed for seven days from today. Case adjourned to 21/08/2024 for renewal or discharge of the Order.”

Two separate claimants, Al- Gasali Global Ventures and the Incorporated Trustees of Lekki Coastal Area Development Association, had in separate suits dragged the Nigerian Navy and the Chief of Naval Staff to Court over forceful takeover of their land, destruction of their properties and continued intimidation and harassment.

The Lekki Coastal Area Development Association is consisted of communities and villages, whose lands were compulsorily acquired by the Lagos State Government under the State Global Acquisition and compensated with the disputed parcel of land and granted the Certificate of Occupancy  No 9/9/2014 M dated 8th June 2014. In their Statement of Claim, the Lekki Coastal Area Development Association claimed to be the beneficial owner of 375.019 hectares of land vide the Certificate of Occupancy No 9/9/2014M dated 8th June 2014, while Al Gasali Global Ventures is claiming about 66.107 hectares within the same Certificate of Occupancy 9/9/2014M dated 8th June, 2014 and covered by a Deed of Gift dated 21st day of May 2019 and registered as No 36 at Page 36 in Vol 2638A of the Lagos State Land Registry, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, all being, situate and lying at Origanrigan, Oshoroko and Lekki in Ibeju Lekki Local Government area of Lagos State.

The two Claimants also claimed to have been in undisturbed possession until 23/7/2024, when agents, officers, men, workmen and artisans of the defendants invaded their land “vi et armis” and have now stationed naval personnel and thugs on the land to dispossess, dislodge and displace them from the land.

The Lekki Coastal Area Development Association also claimed that the Nigerian Navy and the Chief of Naval Staff through their agents, officers, men, workmen and artisans have destroyed beacons, pillars, perimeter fences and existing buildings on the land and have continued to erect structures and buildings on the land at an alarmingly rapid rate.

They also claimed that the agents, officers, men and artisans of the defendants threatened to deal with the officials and accredited communities’ representatives of Lekki Coastal Area Development Association and the Staff and Employees of Al Gasali Global Ventures Ltd when they challenged them on the land, which has made it difficult, risky and unsafe to even attempt to take photographs of the activities of the defendants on the land.

The claimants/applicants, while praying the Honourable Justice to grant the Interim Injunction claimed that it was needed “To preserve the “res” from distortion, destruction and decimation of the original corporate purpose the land was intended for” by them.