A Federal High Court in Lagos has granted an interim injunction to prevent the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, along with their agents, from demolishing a property located on Banana Island, Lagos.
The property in question is the Boat Clubhouse in the OT QC area of Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, which the ministry intends to demolish to make room for an access road to a new estate planned to be called Apple Island.
This court order follows a lawsuit filed by the Incorporated Trustees of the Banana Island Property Owners/Residents Association against the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, and the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, seeking to halt the planned demolition of the property.
The court, after reviewing the Motion and a 25-paragraph affidavit filed by Chief Ugo Nnabuife, a Nigerian citizen and legal practitioner residing at 35, 219 Close, Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos, as well as accompanying exhibits and a written address by Okechukwu Tagboo Dike Esq., directed the defendants to suspend their actions.
The interim order prohibits the AGF, the minister, the ministry, and their representatives from taking any steps concerning the Boat Clubhouse, as referenced in a letter dated February 28, 2025, until the motion on notice is decided.
Additionally, the court ordered that the status quo regarding the Plaintiffs’ Boat Clubhouse, as it stood when the legal action was initiated, should be preserved by all parties involved, pending the resolution of the Motion on Notice.
During the proceedings, O. Adejuyigbe (SAN), with M. O. Afolabi Esq., representing the Plaintiff/Applicant, presented the case, and after carefully considering the application and submissions, the court reiterated that the status quo should be maintained until the matter is further addressed.
Residents of the estate expressed their shock and frustration that despite multiple court orders and interim injunctions, officials from the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development attempted to demolish the Boat Clubhouse on Tuesday morning.
A resident, who wished to remain anonymous, recounted the harassment and intimidation that estate residents experienced when the ministry’s officials arrived.
“You needed to be here early enough to see the harassment and intimidation which these officials subjected our residents to this morning,” the resident said. He further lamented the growing disregard for court orders, especially by government agencies.
“This matter is in court, and there is an interim injunction restraining these people from demolishing our property, yet they were here in their numbers to carry out the demolition. What do you call a thing like this?” he questioned.
In an effort to prevent further escalation, the estate management decided to block the entrance, preventing any entry or exit for several hours until the ministry officials finally left the premises.
