Pastor Oritsejafor Drags Fashola To Court Over Planned Demolition of Church

In a bid to stop the proposed demolition of his
church, The President of the Christian Association of
Nigeria (CAN) Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has dragged
Lagos state Government and six others before a
Lagos High Court.


Joined as co-respondents in the suit are the Lagos
state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), the
state’s Attorney-General, Lagos state Ministry of
Physical planning and Urban Development, Lagos
state Building Control Agency, Lagos state Physical
Planning Permit Authority, and Lagos state Task
force on Environmental Sanitation, Pm News
reports.

The Incorporated Trustees of Word of Life Bible
Church, the claimant is urging the court for an order
restraining the defendants their agents, servants,
officers or privies from demolishing or further
demolishing, destroying, or forcibly ejecting them.

The claimant urged the court that they should not
continue to take steps or in any other manner
engage in any activity(ies) detrimental or contrary
to the rights of the ownership or possession of the
claimant in respect of the claimants land located at
Plot 21E, Abdulrahman Okene Close, Off Ligali
Ayorinde Street Victoria Island, Annex Lagos.
The claimants in an affidavit filed before the court
averred that after applying for building plan approval
from the respondents and it was not forthcoming
within the regulated period the claimants through
Pastor Oritsejafor made due enquires, wrote
several letters, and also held meetings with the
former governor of the state, Senator Bola Tinubu
and the present governor of Lagos state Babatunde
Fashola.

Consequently, in March 2013, the claimant received
a letter from the defendants directing them to
submit certain documents to facilitate the process
of the approval of the building plan which it was
complied with.

However, while the claimant was still awaiting the
building plan approval so as to continue with its
Church building the claimant suddenly discovered
that the defendants had pasted a certain
contravention notice dated January 20, 2014 on its
fence, alleging absence of development permit, as
ground of seeking removal of the building on the
land within two days.

The defendants, in their counter-affidavit alleged
that the action of the claimants of not complying
with rules and regulations generated the its
supposed action.

They also alleged that the claimant commenced the
Attention of the structure on the said property
without first obtaining a development permit. It was
stated further that though, the claimant had applied
for the permit, but it did not wait for the approval,
rather it continued with the construction of the
building.
The defendants further added that the claimant has
also not provided all that was required to process its
development permit.