Demolition: Traders Sue Lagos, Demand N3.4bn

Some Traders at the famous Oluwole Market located on Lagos Island have dragged the state government and some of its agencies before the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square over the demolition of their shops.

Under the banner of the Lagos Merchandise and Traders Associa, the traders are demanding N3.4 billion as compensation for the alleged illegal demolition of their places of business.

The association, which filed the suit for itself and on behalf of 169 others, is asking the court presided over by Justice Olukayode Ogunjobi to declare that the demolition of the kee-clamps they occupied at the Oluwole Kee- clamps Market, Lagos Island, by the Defendants is wrongful, unlawful and unconstitutional.

Apart from the association, other claims in the suit are those of Babro Ventures Limited and Tosh Limited.
The defendants are the Lagos State Attorney-General, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Lagos State Development and Proper Authority, and the Lagos State Urban Renewal Authority.

In a 42-paragraph statement of claim attached to the suit, the claimants averred that they had been in peaceful possession and occupation of the said kee-clamps and carrying on their businesses until April 17, 2024, when officers of the Lagos State Building Control Agency threatened to demolish them without any notice.

They stated that because of the threat, they instructed their lawyer to write a letter on April 18, 2024, to the Defendants, complaining of the threat and urging them to consider the fact that they are not illegal occupants and that the demolition will cause huge hardship and suffering.

The claimants further maintained that they followed up on the letter by holding a meeting with the Special Adviser to the Governor on Physical Planning on the 18th and 19th of April, 2024, and they were promised and assured that the kee-clamps would not be demolished.

They, however, claimed that, to their shock and disbelief, secretly, on April 21, 2024, the said kee-klamps were demolished without any opportunity for them to salvage their goods and other articles of trade.
The claimants are therefore seeking relief: “a declaration that by the combined effects of the terms of Judgement in suit No. LD/386/91 and Letter of Allocation of 269 kee-klamps dated 9th day of January 2006, the leases granted to the first Claimant and its members over the kee-klamps at the Oluwole Kee-klamps Market, Lagos Island, Lagos State, are still subsisting.

“A declaration that by the fifth Defendant’s Letter dated June 3, 2006, and subsequent Agreement entered into between the fifth Defendant and the second Claimant over the construction of 91 kee-clamps on the Upper Decks of Blocks 1, 2, 3 and 4 at the kee-klamps situate at the lease granted to the second Claimant over the said kee-klamps is still subsisting

“A declaration that by the fifth Defendant’s Letter dated third June 2006, and subsequent Agreement entered into between the fifth Defendant and the third Claimant over the construction of 91 kee-klamps on the Upper Decks of Blocks 7, 8 and 10 at the kee-klamps situated at the Oluwole Kee-klamps Market, Lagos Island, Lagos State, the lease granted to the third Claimant over the said kee-klamps is still subsisting

“Damages for the sum of N10,000,000 only to each of the owners of the 269 kee-klamps belonging to 5 the first Claimant and its members.

“The sum of N412,000,000 only, in favour of the second Claimant, the sum of N317,000,000 in favour of the third Claimant and the cost of this action in the sum of N5,000,000.

Justice Ogunjobi has adjourned the case to December 6 for further hearing.