The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) on Wednesday denied breaching any court order restraining it from demolishing 600 houses at 6th Avenue, Festac Town in Lagos State.
The agency made the denial during proceedings in a case of alleged demolition of 600 buildings and partial demolition of 700 buildings in spite of a court order.
The case is before Justice Akintunde Savage of an Ikeja high court.
Counsel to the claimants, Mr Adetayo Bello, had told the court that he obtained the restraining order, but counsel to the FHA, Mr Chris Ekemezie, denied knowledge of the order, arguing that the agency did not breach any court order.
The claimants/applicants are Mr Samuel Ahmed, Martinson Realtors Investment Ltd., Alhaja Taoheed Amusa and Alhaja R. A. Balogun.
“We are a law-abiding government agency, and we did not defy any court order,” Ekemezie said.
He told the court that the counsel to the claimants did not serve the agency the court process.
Bello, thereafter, sought extension of the court order.
The judge, however, questioned the validity of the request.
Savage ruled that, given that the claimants’ counsel had alleged breach of the order, the prayer would not be granted.
The judge adjourned the matter until Feb. 20 to consider the concerns of all parties involved.
In September 2023, the claimants/applicants sought an ex-parte order to stop FHA from the demolition.
They filed a motion ex-parte with suit No. ID/7396GCM/2023 and dated Sept. 7, 2023.
The application was brought before Justice O. J. Awope of an Ikeja High Court who was a vacation judge at the time – Sept. 11, 2023.
The application was supported by a 40-page affidavit deposed to by the fourth claimant, Balogun, and one Mr Thaddeus Idenyi.