21st January, 2014
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, western Nigeria has adjourned till 6 February for hearing in the suit instituted by Oba Otudeko’s company, Honeywell Group, over 10.841 square metres of land within the Lagos Ports Complex against the Dangote Group.
Joined in the suit are the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Aliko Dangote and Greenview Development Nigeria, a company related to Dangote.
Honeywell Group alleged that NPA leased the land to it for five years for the purpose of setting up bulk facilities.
It also said N2.168 million was paid, but suddenly the agreement was suspended and the land was re-allocated to Greenview Development Company while Honeywell was ordered to vacate the land.
Honeywell Group alleged that Dangote and his group had lured the NPA to transfer the land to it.
Honeywell is urging the court to declare it as a legal occupier while demanding damages of $48 million.
Dangote is insisting that the agreement was neither turned into deed nor was it registered in any land registry.
His Group is also claiming that presidential consent was not obtained before the lease agreement was granted to Honeywell and as part of the privatisation policy of the Federal Government, notices were given to the public in 2003 for the consessioning of all lands in the Nigerian Ports complexes by the Bureau of Public Enterprises, BPE.
Dangote and his group have asked the court to dismiss the case.
—Akin Kuponiyi