Church files N20bn suit against Lagos govt, others

A popular Lagos-based church, The Bride Assembly, has filed a N20 billion suit against the Lagos State government over what it termed harrassment, invasion and demolition of its property situated at Plot A2 Block 72B, Amuwo Odofin Industrial Estate, Ijesha, Lagos.

Joined alongside the state government as parties in the suit were the state Physical Planning and Development Authority and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

The church, in a suit filed at the Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja, was asking for the sum of N20 million as general, exemplary and aggravated damages for the harrassament, invasion and destruction of its property.

Also, the church was asking for a declaration that the harrassment, invasion and destruction of its property by officers of the defendants, during the pendency of suit number ID/1846/2009, LD/241/2012 and appeal number CA/L/256/2012, was unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional and an abuse of court process.

It also asked for an order of interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants from further harrassment, threatening to invade and demolish the property, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit already filed before the court and any other order as the court may deem fit.

The writ of summon, filed by Mr Emeka Ozoani, was supported by a statement of claim and a 20-paragraph affidavit.

The church, in its statement of claim, averred that despite the fact that there were matters before the court on the land in question, the defendants invaded the premises on October 5, 2012 and destroyed property worth N20 billion without any order of court.
PUNCH