Court asks Lagos to stay action on cancer centre

The Lagos State High Court in Igbosere has asked the Lagos State Government not to take further action on the Ikoyi Cancer Treatment Centre pending the determination of a lawsuit before it.

In a July 25, 2019 ruling, Justice Lateefa Okunnu said the state government must stay action in order not to foist a fait accompli on the court.

The judge gave the ruling following an application taken before her by Kings Country Property Investment Company Limited, the promoter of the Ikoyi Cancer Treatment Centre.

Listed as respondents in the case were the Governor of Lagos State, the Lagos State Government, Attorney General of Lagos State; and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority.

Justice Okunnu, in her ruling, said, “I have considered the motion papers. I would rather state, and emphasise, the position of the law, based on the rule of law, that once notified of a pending case, and served with the originating processes and a Notice of Motion for an order of injunction, the defendants are obliged and duty-bound not to take any such steps as would foist a fait accompli on the court.”

The judge directed the claimant to immediately serve all its processes on the defendants, “who must then stay action and appear before this court.”

In a statement by its lawyer, Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, Kings Country Property Investment Company Limited had earlier raised the alarm over the alleged sealing of the cancer centre on July 17, 2019 by the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning.

Adegboruwa urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to, in deference to the court, order the unsealing of the cancer centre, which he said was 90 per cent ready.

He argued that it would be in the interest of the public to unseal the cancer centre as its aim was to give cancer patients in Nigeria access to affordable diagnosis and treatment without having to travel abroad.