The Freedom of Information suit filed by De Renaissance Patriots Foundation and the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum in Lagos was stalled on Tuesday as the presiding judge, Justice Ayoola Olayinka Faji, did not attend the hearing, nor did representatives from the Lagos State Government, the Attorney General, or other defendants.
The applicants arrived early at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi but were informed later that Justice Faji would not be sitting. As it became clear that the court session would not proceed, the plaintiffs, who are natives of Lagos State, began singing solidarity songs outside the court.
Yakubu Eleto, counsel for the applicants, expressed frustration at the absence of both the judge and the defendants, stating, “The judge did not sit. Our people were in court, and as you can see, the absence of the judge, Lagos State Government, the state’s Attorney General, and other defendants frustrated the hearing of the $100 million Dangote land deal case today.”
Eleto emphasized that while judges have the discretion to be absent, it was concerning that the defendants, who are expected to provide information regarding the $100 million paid by Alhaji Aliko Dangote for 7,000 acres of land in Ibeju-Lekki used for the Dangote Refinery, also failed to appear.
The plaintiffs are seeking to compel the Lagos State Government and three other defendants to release information confirming whether Dangote’s claim about the payment is accurate. They also demand a detailed account of how the funds were utilized, the specific account into which the money was paid, and an explanation for the lack of public disclosure regarding the transaction involving land belonging to the Ibeju-Lekki natives.