By Monsur Olowoopejo

lagos—Stakeholders of the Okobaba Foreshore in Ebute-Metta, comprising Timber Dealers, Sawyers, Towing Vessel Owners and others, have dragged the Lagos State Government before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, challenging their proposed forceful eviction from the Okobaba Street Foreshore, to an uncompleted location in far away Ijede area of Ikorodu in Lagos State.

Oba Akiolu

The stakeholders in the suit by their counsel,  Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, are praying the court to restrain the Lagos State Government from forcefully ejecting them from the Okoababa Foreshore.

The other respondent in the suit is the Attorney General of Lagos State.

They are also praying the court to declare  that the defendants are not entitled to eject, remove, drive away, or in any other manner disturb or hinder the possession of the 1st- 5th plaintiffs at the Abeokuta Street (Okobaba) Foreshore of the Lagos Lagoon.

They are also asking the court to declare that the Lagos State Government has no authority over any land situate and being within the 100 metres of all declared navigable inland waterways, such as the Lagos Lagoon, which is under the authority and jurisdiction of the National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA.

The stakeholders are contending in the suit that they have been paying their regular dues and permit licenses to the said NIWA for many years now.

They are contending therefore that the Lagos State Government was without legal powers to interfere in their possession and occupation of the Okobaba Street Foreshore, to eject them forcefully and to transfer the land to developers and foreign investors, who have no history of any contribution to the development of the area.

The timber dealers, sawyers and towing vessel owners are consequently asking the court to declare that the 6th plaintiff is the body statutorily empowered to manage, control and regulate all land or interest in land within 100 metres of all declared federal waterways and shoreline of all lagoons in Nigeria to the exclusion of the defendants.