Encomium
+ How he’s buying up Oregun
PASTOR Chris Oyakhilome’s Christ Embassy are back to their Alausa, Oregun, Ikeja, Lagos expansive property years after the Lagos State Government (LASG) kicked them out, ENCOMIUM Weekly can exclusively report.
A subject of litigation since 2002, the parcel of land measuring approximately 9,183t.257 square metres (which is few poles away from the Lagos State Government House) is now a car pack, serving the general public as well as Christ Embassy members and staff.
When ENCOMIUM Weekly visited the park that borders Neimeth Plc, Billings Way, Oregun, Lagos on Wednesday, September 17, 2013, we sighted hundreds of vehicles coming in and out of the premises.
We also spoke with one of its managers who admitted they are doing good business.
“The park serves members and staff of Believers LoveWorld. You know they are not doing only church business. They also have profitable businesses.”
It would be recalled that Oyakhilome used to hold Special Sunday Church services as well as conventions at the Alausa property before LASG issued an order preventing them from having access to the property in 2011. The church had to suspend all religious activities there following the shocking government order.
He also began to buy more and more juicy property in the Oregun, Ikeja neighbourhood.
Oyakhilome would move on to acquire acres of land on Lagos-Ibadan Express Way as alternative. But hampered by the perennial traffic gridlock in the area and the dispute that trailed the ownership of the land, Oyakhilome had to return to Oregun where he had since secured about 40 acres of land valued at over N10 billion, considering the location in the industrial area.
Part of the facilities he put up is a Convocation Centre (Where all the churches international programmes are held) and yet another park inside the massive structure.
Justice Samuel Candide-Johnson of a Lagos High court early last year, began hearing on an interlocutory application praying him to restrain the Lagos State government from interfering with the Believers LoveWorld (Christ Embassy), landed property on Oyeleke Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
In the substantive case before the court, the church had been contesting ownership of the parcel of land with the Executors of the estate of Chief R. A Randle, namely Mrs.Titilola Awosusi, Alhaja Omolara Ademosu and Mr. Abayomi Willoughby. But the church claimed the ownership of the land, which according to it was acquired from Neimeth Pharmacy with registered titles.
However, as the controversy and the litigation were on-going, the state government revoked the title of the church through a letter dated February 15, 2013, signed by the state governor, Babatunde Fashola, SAN, asking the church to vacate the said land within seven days for public use.
To forestall the taking over of the property before the determination of its main suit, the church prayed the court through an interlocutory injunction to stop the government from going further with its action.
Christ Embassy had brought the application dated March 7, 2013, via a Motion on Notice pursuant to Order 39 of the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules and on the grounds that there is an urgent need to stop the state government from interfering with the subject matter of the suit. Christ Embassy is challenging the revocation order on the grounds that the act of the governor interfered with a pending court action, which the land is its subject matter.
Urging the court to grant its request, the church said there was “an urgent need to stop the state government from interfering with the subject matter of the suit.”
The church, in its affidavit supporting its application, alleged that while the substantive suit was pending, the state government through its officials, on October 19, 2011, invaded the said land and committed “an act of trespass on the land.”
But the state government had attributed its revocation order of the land for public use. The letter read in part: “Whereas the Governor of Lagos State of Nigeria requires for overriding public interest (extension of the Government Secretariat and provision of multi-level car park), all that parcel of land together with any development thereon situate and lying along Oyeleke Street, Oregun village in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State measuring approximately 9183.257 square meters, the boundaries of which are described in the schedule hereto and more particularly delineated in the plan at the office of the Director Land Services, Lagos State Lands Bureau, Governor’s Office, the Secretariat Alausa, Ikeja Lagos State Nigeria.
“Now therefore, in the exercise of the powers conferred on me pursuant to Section 28 of the Land Use Act, I Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), the Governor of Lagos State hereby give this notice of revocation to the holder to revoke the existing right of occupancy in the said land with effect from seven (7) days of service of this notice for the reasons given above.
“That any holder, owner or occupier of the said land or any part of it is accordingly directed to yield up possession of the land on or before the expiration of the period specified in this notice.”
The latest development, however, is that the church is now operating a commercial park there, probably pending the final determination of their suit challenging Government’s revocation order and the original suit defending their claim as lawful owners of the over N800 million worth property.
Contacted for comments on the development, a top official of Believers LoveWorld who pleaded anonymity confirmed they have a car park there. He, however, said he was not in the position to know if the matter arising from government’s revocation order has been resolved.
Our further checks also revealed that none of the parties, Oyakhilome (Christ Embassy), executors of Chief R. A. Randle estate or LASG can lay claim to the property. What this suggests is that the church will continue to occupy the land until all the pending judicial matters are finally resolved. This should be the reason Oyakhilome has not erected a permanent structure there since 2002.
– UCHE OLEHI
