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JUST IN: Court strikes out suit against Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road
The Federal High Court in Lagos has declined jurisdiction in a suit challenging the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, striking out the case brought by residents and property owners in the Okun-Ajah community of Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos State.
Justice Akintayo Aluko, in a consolidated ruling on multiple preliminary objections raised by the defendants, held that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
Consequently, the case, marked FHC/L/CS/1488/2024, was struck out.
However, the Judge directed that the suit be transferred to the Lagos State High Court, which he deemed the appropriate forum to adjudicate on the issues raised.
The Plaintiffs, Chief Saheed Olukosi (Akogun of Okun-Ajah Community), Noibi Issa Afolayan, Yussuf Odunuga Sulaiman, Olufemi Fasehun, and Adeola Tokunbo filed the suit on behalf of Okun-Ajah residents and affected property owners, seeking to halt the coastal road project over alleged encroachment on their lands.
They asked the court to nullify any construction or planning activity on their properties, alleging unlawful encroachment and trespass.
Among the reliefs sought were orders to invalidate the road designs affecting their land, to restrain the authorities and contractor from continuing construction on the disputed area, and to award damages for the alleged trespass.
The defendants named in the suit include the Honourable Minister of Works, Dr. Dave Umahi; Engineer Olukorede Keisha; the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing; Lagos State Attorney-General; the Lagos Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development; Surveyor-General of Lagos State; General Manager of the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority; General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency; and Hitech Construction Limited.
In response, the 1st to 3rd and 9th Defendants filed separate preliminary objections challenging the jurisdiction of the court.
Represented by Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Prof. J.O. Olatoke, SAN; Y.A.H. Ruba, SAN; Roy U. Nwaeze, SAN; and Ibukun Fasoro, they argued that the matter fell outside the purview of the Federal High Court.
The preliminary objections were supported by affidavits, to which the plaintiffs responded with a counter-affidavit.
In his ruling, Justice Aluko upheld the objections, stating that the legal questions raised and the reliefs sought were more appropriately handled by the Lagos State High Court. He ruled in favour of the Defendants, bringing proceedings at the Federal High Court to a close.
“Counsel to the Plaintiffs made an alternative submission in his written address, urging the court not to strike out this suit if the court finds that it lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate over the case.
“Counsel urged the court to transfer this suit to the State High Court, instead of striking out same.
“I agree with Counsel on this request, as this court possesses the needed power and jurisdiction to accede to such prayer.
“This court is fortified under Section 22(2) of the Federal High Court Act, which provides thus: ‘No cause or matter shall be struck out by the court merely on the ground that such cause or matter was taken in the court instead of the High Court of a State or of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in which it ought to have been brought, and the Judge of the court before whom such cause or matter is brought may cause such cause or matter to be transferred to the appropriate High Court of a State or at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in accordance with Rules of Court to be made under Section 44 of this Act.
“The Objections of the 1st-3rd and 9th Defendant/Objectors are therefore, sustained. This court has no jurisdiction to adjudicate over the subject-matter in this case.
“Pursuant to Section 22(2) of the Federal High Court Act, this suit is accordingly transferred to the Lagos State High Court as the appropriate court for adjudication”, Justice Aluko held.
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PFIPC: Adeyemi should be prosecuted – ICPC chairman
President Tinubu had on July 7, mandated the ICPC to investigate the matter and submit its report within 30 days.
• State House Photo:The Chairman of the ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, submit an interim report of its investigation on PFIPC, to President Bola Tinubu on Thursday, August 6,2026
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has urged the Federal Government to prosecute the Director -General of the fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew.
The Chairman of the ICPC, Musa Adamu Aliyu, made the call on Thursday when he submitted an interim report of its investigation into the controversy surrounding the existence of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC) .
As part of the recommendations, the ICPC boss said Mr Adeyemi should be prosecuted, while administrative sanctions should be imposed on public officers “whose acts of omissions, negligence, facilitated the illegal operation of the council because our investigation found that some public officers failed to do due diligence.”
President Tinubu had on July 7, mandated the ICPC to investigate the matter and submit its report within 30 days.
Submitting the report, the ICPC chairman said that the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council “was never established by any law or executive order or other instrument of government, and the appointment letter presented by Adeyemi Matthew was completely forged alongside similar documents used to perpetuate the illegal activities of the fake agency.”
“What we discovered was that the office used by the fake agency was broken into. The lock was broken, and he had access to the office. That was how he was able to get inside that office, and also the false widespread impersonation and wide range of illegal activities were perpetrated by the fake DG or the fake agency, Adeyemi.”
He emphasised that public officers should also be sanctioned, because “They failed to adhere with the standard procedures that are supposed to be complied with in their ministries and departments, and that gave Adeyemi Matthew the opportunity to conduct this illegal act.
“Then institutional reform has also been recommended that there is need for institutional reform so that the internal control of the MDAs can be strengthened to block this kind of illegal activity.”
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PSC hands over 50,000 newly recruited constables to police for training
Receiving the recruits on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, DIG Isyaku Mohammed, who oversees the Force Training and Development Department, commended the commission for conducting what he described as a transparent recruitment exercise.
• IGP Tunji Disu
The Police Service Commission on Thursday formally handed over 50,000 newly recruited police constables to the Nigeria Police Force for training.
A statement issued on Thursday by the commission’s spokesperson, Torty Kalu, said the handover was presided over by retired Justice Paul Galumje, Commissioner I.
The statement said the recruitment exercise was conducted in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu and relevant statutory provisions.
Galumje thanked the President for his support of the recruitment process and formally presented the successful candidates to the Nigeria Police Force for training at designated police colleges and other approved institutions.
He also handed over the detailed list of successful candidates, contained in a flash drive, to the police authorities.
Receiving the recruits on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, DIG Isyaku Mohammed, who oversees the Force Training and Development Department, commended the commission for conducting what he described as a transparent recruitment exercise.
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Kogi vigilantes clash leaves eight dead
Chairman of Lokoja Local Government Area, Abdullahi Adamu, confirmed the incident, clarifying that the violence was not a bandit attack on the affected communities.
• One of the dead victims / Ohibaba image
At least eight people have been killed following a violent clash between local vigilante members and Fulani vigilantes in the villages of Abugi, Mikugi, and Gudanchi, all located in Lokoja Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The violence which erupted on Thursday, has thrown residents of Abugi and surrounding communities into panic.
Sources said the crisis began after a confrontation between a member of the local vigilante group and his counterparts from the Fulani vigilante group.
The disagreement reportedly escalated when one of the men allegedly opened fire, killing the other instantly.
The killing triggered a series of reprisal attacks, with the death toll rising to at least eight as of the time of this report.
The exact number of those injured is yet to be confirmed.
Chairman of Lokoja Local Government Area, Abdullahi Adamu, confirmed the incident, clarifying that the violence was not a bandit attack on the affected communities.
The council chairman said security agencies had been briefed and promised to provide further details as investigations progress.
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