A shocking act that has been described as executive recklessness, agents of the Ogun State government demolished Datkem Plaza in Ijebu Ode belonging to Yeye Olufunke Daniel, the former first lady of the state and wife of former Governor Gbenga Daniel.
Recall that Freelanews reported the demolition took place in the early hours of Sunday, September 10, 2023.
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While the legal firm representing Yeye Daniel, PAGE Law Office, has expressed shock and disappointment over the incident in a release issued by Adeyinka Kotoye, it has vowed to seek legal redress.
The release, made available to Freelanews, revealed that court papers were served to the Ogun State government agents on Thursday, September 7, instructing them to halt any actions on the building.
However, the government chose to ignore these court papers and proceeded with the demolition.
The issue began when the Ogun State Planning and Development Authority sealed the building on August 1 without any prior notice, which prompted Yeye Daniel to apply for the unsealing and regularization of the building on August 2, by paying the mandatory fee of N500,000 to the Ogun State government.
However, the government disregarded the ongoing legal process and demolished the complex.
“We want to believe the State Attorney General’s advice was ignored on this matter,” the release stated, suggesting that the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, may not have been informed about the illegality of the demolition.
“Our clients, as law abiding citizens of Ogun State, will continue to seek redress in the courts. Even when our clients have suffered unimaginable and huge losses as a result of this illegal demolition, we will not relent in pursuing justice in the courts.
“I want to believe that the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, was not informed of this illegality. But if he was informed and still decided to use the instruments of the State against our clients, it is nothing but executive recklessness. But we will continue to fight for justice and ensure that our clients,” he wrote.
The demolition of Datkem Plaza has sparked outrage among residents of Ijebu Ode, who see it as a gross misuse of power by the Ogun State government and hope it will be held accountable for its actions.
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
