Court Stops Lagos Govt From Demolishing White Sand Market Oyingbo

Justice Akinkunmi Idowu of the High Court of Lagos State, Ikeja, has fixed September 28, 2023, for hearing of a suit initiated by aggrieved traders of White Sand Market, Otto, Oyingbo area of the state.

The court had earlier issued an order of interim injunction dated June 22, 2023, restraining the defendants/respondents (Lagos Mainland Local Government, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice) by themselves, agents, privies, servants and or any other person claiming through them from entering, letting, demolishing and building on the land known as White Sand Market, Otto, Oyingbo, Lagos State.

In the Motion Ex-parte brought pursuant to Order 42 Rules 1 and 4 and Order 43 of the Lagos State Civil Procedure Rules, Section 1 of the preemptive remedies section of the practice direction No 2 of 2019, and under Section 34, 36, and 43 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and under the inherent jurisdiction of the court, the claimants/applicants (Sherifat Abeke, Alhaja Garba Malam, Orji Uke Onuoha) through their application dated June 14, 2023 prayed the court to issue an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants from entering the land known as White Sand Market, Otto, Oyingbo, Lagos State, pending the determination of the suit.

They had also asked the court for an order of interim injunction restraining the defendants from demolishing the construction on the land known as White Sand Market, Otto, Oyingbo, Lagos State.

The aggrieved traders also wants the court to grant “An order of interim injunction restraining the defendants by themselves, their agents, servants, privies and/or any other person howsover described from letting out the land known as White Sand Market, Otto, Oyingbo, Lagos State, pending the determination of this suit.

“And for such further orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit and convenient to make in the circumstances of this case”.

Meanwhile, In an SOS message dated September 20, 2023 to the governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the traders through Alhaja Thanni begged the governor to come to their rescue as the Lagos Mainland Local Government is threatening to take over the market from them.