The Lagos State government has begun the redevelopment and reconstruction of the famous Igbosere High Court, which was burnt down by miscreants, who hijacked the EndSAR protest in October 2020.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who performed the groundbreaking ceremony for the reconstruction project on Monday, said a new and iconic Court building was in the offing.
He recalled that he set up the Rebuild Lagos Trust Fund (RLTF) in November 2020 to undertake the rebuilding and restoring affected state assets.
Sanwo-Olu, who took to his verified Facebook page, wrote: “Today, I performed the Groundbreaking Ceremony for the redevelopment and reconstruction of the Historic Igbosere High Court which was destroyed during the civil unrest of October 2020.
“The unfortunate public disturbance led to destruction of many public and private buildings but of the ashes will emerge a new and iconic Court building.
“I set up the Rebuild Lagos Trust Fund (RLTF) in November 2020 to undertake the rebuilding and restoring affected state assets.
“The Igbosere High Court holds historical significance to Lagos as a State, and Nigeria as a country. This court was the oldest and most notable colonial judicial building in Nigeria. It was originally called the Supreme Court with its jurisdiction limited to Lagos.
“The reconstruction we are undertaking will restore the building to its original state with additional features.
“We will now expand the court rooms in the complex from 22 to 38 Courts in response to the deficiency in the number of courtrooms in the state
“To address the challenge parking space, the former car park will be turned to a multilevel park and a new 700-seater auditorium will be added and more office spaces would also be created to adequately accommodate our judges and other judicial officers.”