By Onyewuchi Ojinnaka
Justice Ayokunle Faji of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos Nigeria on Friday ordered the Attorney-general of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN); the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, and five others to appear before it on July 24 to show cause why the handover of National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos to developers should not be reversed.
The National Theatre was purportedly handed over to some developers on July 12 while the structure is a subject of a pending lawsuit marked FHC/L/CS/2392/2019.
Justice Faji made the order while ruling on an ex-parte application filed and argued by Chijioke Okoli (SAN), lawyer to the applicant Topwideapeas Limited contesting the handover
Okoli had argued that despite fact that the matter was pending in court, the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos was handed over to the CBN, Access Bank of Nigeria Plc and Herbert Wigwe.
He contended that if not reversed, the handover of the structure would render the eventual decision of the court on the suit nugatory.
He therefore prayed for an order “suspending/staying the purported handover on or about July 12, 2020 by the 1st and 3rd defendants/respondents to the 5th – 7th defendants/respondents of the National Theatre Complex, Iganmu, Lagos and the adjoining lands thereto, pending the hearing and determination of the applicant’s motion for interlocutory injunction (by notice filed on December 31, 2019).”
