Justice Adewunmi Oshin of the Lagos High Court has stopped the Lagos State Government from taking over and demolishing the two remaining high-rise buildings constructed by Fourscore Heights Limited in Ikoyi
The judge also ordered all parties in the suit to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of a suit filed by 15 subscribers in three high-rise buildings.
On November 1, 2021, one of the high-rise buildings (Block B) collapsed, killing 46 persons.
The government moved to take over and the remaining two buildings, Blocks A and C.
In the substantive suit, the subscribers, including Wemimo Ogunde (SAN); a former pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Adetola Odutola; and an Oba-elect, Pastor Ghandi Olaoye, are seeking general damages of N200m and another N50m as the cost of filing the suit.
The claimants, in the suit filed by their lawyer, AbdulHakeem Mustapha (SAN), argued that the failure of the Lagos State Government and its officials to supervise the construction of one of the three towers in line with regulations led to its collapse.
They asked the court to make an order restraining the defendants from trespassing or further trespassing, demolishing, or further demolishing the properties until an independent audit of the property is carried out by the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.
In a ruling delivered on the issue, Justice Oshin ordered the applicants to serve the defendants in the suit all necessary papers, so that the court can proceed to hear the matter on its merit.
The court then adjourned the suit till September 29 for the hearing and determination of the substantive matter.
