The Lagos State Government has been sued in the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, with a request for the court to mandate the release of information verifying whether Aliko Dangote’s recent claim of paying $100 million to the state is true or false.
In July, Aliko Dangote, the President of the Dangote Group, asserted that his company did not receive any incentives from either the Federal or Lagos State Governments for the development of its $20 billion refinery at the Lekki Free Trade Zone. Dangote made this declaration during a visit to the refinery by the leadership of the House of Representatives, led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu.
Dangote stated, “In the refinery, we did not, and I repeat, we did not collect one single incentive from the Federal Government of Nigeria or even Lagos State. Yes, the Lagos State gave us a good deal, but we paid $100 million for the land. It wasn’t free land; we paid for it.”
The local community has demanded that if Dangote’s statement is accurate, the Lagos State Government should provide a full account of the $100 million received in exchange for the Ibeju-Lekki land. They are seeking clarification on why there was no public disclosure of the transaction, details on which account the funds were deposited into, and an explanation of how the money was spent.
These demands are outlined in an originating motion filed under Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and sections 1, 3, 4, 7, 20, and 24 of the Freedom of Information Act 2011, invoking the inherent jurisdiction of the court. The motion was filed by De Renaissance Patriots Foundation and the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum.
The applicants have listed Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Attorney General of Lagos State, the Accountant General of Lagos State, the Permanent Secretary of the Lands Bureau in Lagos State, and the Lagos State Government as respondents.
According to a release from the Media Office of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, the motion was filed and registered with the court under Suit No FHC/L/CS/1603/2024 on Friday, September 6, 2024. The applicants are seeking an Order of Mandamus from the court to compel the Lagos State Government to disclose the requested information.
Speaking after the filing of the motion on Friday, September 6, the lead counsel for the applicants, Yakubu Eleto, said, “Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), as sitting Governor in 2015, using a public address said that they brought Dangote to Ibeju-Lekki in good faith to assist governance, to assist the Lagos State economy, that they gave him the land for free and that he didn’t pay anything for it.”
He mentioned that nine years later, Dangote revealed that the land for the refinery was not provided at no cost, claiming that he had paid $100 million for it.
Eleto highlighted that the local community has faced persistent neglect and has been repeatedly overlooked.
“We want to know where that money went,” he added.
Eleto further explained that the case has not yet been assigned to a judge because it was filed on a Friday, and the Federal High Court only assigns cases on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“It is expected to be assigned to a judge by Tuesday, September 10, 2024,” he noted.
