The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, has dismissed a suit filed by Winhomes Estate Global Services Ltd. against the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Minister of Works, and three others over a land dispute linked to the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
Winhomes and its Chief Executive Officer, Ifeoma Okengwu, had asked the court to stop the Federal Ministry of Works from using a parcel of land which they claimed belonged to the company.
They also sought 250 million dollars in damages, alleging trespass and unlawful acquisition.
In his ruling, Justice Akintayo Aluko held that Winhomes had already transferred or sold its interest in the land to third parties, thereby stripping the company of any legal right to sue.
He further ruled that the claims bordered on land use and alleged trespass—issues outside the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court under Section 251 of the Constitution.
The judge determined that the plaintiffs failed to establish a reasonable cause of action against the defendants, noting that their own documents confirmed they no longer possessed ownership rights over the disputed property.
The land in question was part of a shoreline parcel acquired by Winhomes from a local community and later marked for demolition during valuation for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway alignment. The company had insisted that the design be altered to exclude the undeveloped plots.According to the Ministry of Works, the judgment has put to rest what it described as a “campaign of calumny” by Winhomes against the Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, and other ministry officials involved in the highway project.
Reporting by Abiola Peters