Ibeju-Lekki indigenes sue Sanwo-Olu, demand details of Dangote’s $100m refinery land purchase

Residents of Ibeju-Lekki, under the aegis of Ibeju-Lekki People’s Forum, have instituted a suit against the Lagos state government seeking details of the $100 million paid by Aliko Dangote to acquire the land used for his refinery. 

In July, Dangote claimed he paid $100 million to acquire the 7,000 acres of land on which the Dangote refinery was built.

This is contrary to the belief that the Lagos state government gave it to Dangote for free.

In the suit filed before a federal high court in Lagos, 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.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Lagos governor, is the first respondent in the suit.

Other respondents include the Lagos state attorney-general, Lagos state accountant-general and the state’s permanent secretary, lands bureau.

In the affidavits attached to the suit, the deponent, Yakubu Eleto, youth leader and leader adviser to the first and second applicants, said “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”.

“That immediately the work on the refinery commenced, the natives of the host communities challenged the project managers and some officers of government for siting such laudable project on their soil without payment of compensation,” Eleto said.

The deponent further stated that while addressing a gathering of obas and chiefs in Ibeju-Lekki sometime in 2015, Babajide Fashola, former Lagos governor, said the land was gifted to Dangote.

“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 that 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 Government by maintaining peace and taking the 7000 Acres of land allocated to Dangote as a swap for development.”

The applicants said they were surprised when Dangote claimed he had paid $100 million to acquire the land, adding that the state government has failed to respond to the allegation.

“That despite the claim of purchase of the land from the 5th Respondents, the over 48 Communities affected by the sale of land to Dangote don’t have access to basic social amenities; electricity, pipe borne water, good roads, schools, employment and they have also been exposed to serious environmental threats,” the affidavits read.

“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.

“That till date the respondents have neither honoured the said letter nor obliged us with a copy of the full information on the alleged claim of purchase of about 7000 acres of land despite our demands.”

The applicants are praying 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”.