An oil firm, World Oil Industries Limited, has issued a pre-action notice to the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, over an alleged encroachment on its land.
The firm threatened to sue the ministry and Sola Giwa, an aide of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Transportation, for allegedly attempting to illegally take over its land at the Ikate Elegushi area of Lagos.
In the notice signed by one of the lawyers, Kehinde Adeyemi, the firm accused Giwa and some employees of the ministry of encroaching on its land and allegedly allocating it to Sawgrass Multi Solutions Nigeria Limited as a car lot.
World Oil also alleged an attempt on December 29 by security agents to evict World Oil Petrol forcefully.
The oil firm alleged that Giwa had earlier issued a guit notice to World Oil and erected a sign stating that the Lagos State Ministry of Transport owns the land.
It is, therefore, urging the Commissioner to intervene, or it will be left with another option to institute a suit against the Ministry and others involved.
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The letter reads: “Our client is the legal and beneficial owner of all the land at Block 44 Lekki Epe Expressway, Lekki Lagos.
“It is upon this described address that our client built and operates a World oil filling station and has since been in undisturbed possession of the said land.
“On the 2nd day of December 2023, our client observed an unprecedented encroachment on a portion of the land owned and controlled by our client.
“Our client would later be aware that the allocation was approved by the Ministry of Transportation to Sawgrass Multi Solutions Nig. Ltd as a car lot.
“This wrongful allocation of our clients’ land to another business, if allowed, will cause a drastic disservice to our client’s business.
“It will, without any doubt, limit the daily sales of all fuel products and disturbingly restrain motorists from quickly accessing the filing station to purchase fuel.
“We are, therefore, constrained to write you to reverse this wrongful allocation and brazen encroachment of our clients’ land by Sawgrass Multi Solutions Limited as it is strange and an attempt to upset the peaceful usage and control of the land by our client.
“Please be advised that if no response Is given within seven days of your receipt of this letter, we shall, without further recourse to you, take necessary legal steps against the Ministry and other necessary parties.”