The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has filed a suit against Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, over alleged plans to demolition his church branch. He said state government had the intention of demolishing Word of Life Bible Church, situated in Plot 21E, Abdulrahman Okene Close, off Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island Annex.
Joined as co-defendants in the suit are the state’s Attorney General, 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.
In the suit instituted before Justice Deborah Oluwayemi of a Lagos High Court, Tafawa Balewa Square, the Incorporated Trustees of Word of Life Bible Church, prayed the court for an order of interlocutory injunction, restraining the state government from demolishing, destroying, dispossessing or forcibly ejecting the church from the property.
The church averred that after applying for building plan approval from the respondents and it was not forth coming within the regular period, the claimants through Pastor Orisejafor made due enquires, wrote several letters and held meetings with the former and present governors, Bola Tinubu and Fashola respectively. The claimant argued that in March last year, it received a letter from the defendants directing them to submit some certain documents to facilitate the process of the approval of the building plan which it complied with.
But while it was still awaiting the building plan approval in order to continue with the building, the claimant said it suddenly discovered that the defendants had pasted a certain contravention notice dated January 20 on its fence.
The court is expected to announce date for commencement of hearing on the suit.
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