Jamiu Olayinka, a convener of the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum, was summoned by the State Security Services (SSS) for questioning regarding a lawsuit against the Lagos State government.
The suit seeks an explanation for the $100 million paid by businessman Aliko Dangote for the land used to build his refinery.
In July, Dangote revealed that his company had paid the state government led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu $100 million to acquire the 7,000-hectare site for the refinery. Olayinka, who was invited through his lawyers, was questioned about the forum’s involvement in the lawsuit.
According to a statement released by the Media Officer of De Renaissance Patriots Foundation, Olayinka was not detained but was pressured to provide details of the case. He confirmed that the SSS questioned him about the suit and his association’s involvement.
The statement read: “Although he was not detained, his people had insisted that he should give them all the details of what transpired as they had told him before he left for their office that they suspected the invitation was due to the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum’s involvement in the suit against Lagos State regarding the Dangote Refinery’s $100 million paid to the state government over the natives’ land taken without compensation and claimed to have been given free for the Dangote’s refinery building some nine years ago.
“As predicted by the people, Comrade Jamiu Olayinka confirmed their thought was right. He said, ‘I was asked about the case and I told them we are not going back. I told the (DSS) man that I have every right to sue Lagos State Government for the issues. ‘And he asked to know what we can use to back up our association, and I showed him our registered certificate with CAC. He became perplexed when he saw the registered certification.’’
Olayinka explained that the state government was attempting to intimidate the group into withdrawing the lawsuit. He vowed to resist these threats.
The Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum and De Renaissance Patriots Foundation have filed a suit against the Lagos State government to obtain details of the $100 million payment. The respondents in the case include Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Lagos State Attorney-General, Accountant-General, and Permanent Secretary of the Lands Bureau.
Yakubu Eleto, the legal representative for the natives, has condemned the harassment and intimidation tactics employed by the state government. He argued that instead of providing answers, the government is using the SSS to silence the people.
“Because the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum is a group of the Lagos State indigenes who are directly affected by the development, their leaders and members decided to join in the case and, instead for Governor Sanwo-Olu to now be humble enough by committing to the rule of law and await his day in court, he already resorted to using the DSS to pressurise and intimidate the natives for them to be cut off from involving themselves in the case and that will be unacceptable,” he said.
