Gani Fawehinmi’s allies demand demolition of hotel near his house in Ikeja
Allies of the late Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, on Friday demanded the immediate demolition of a four-storey hotel erected next to his Ikeja GRA residence in Lagos.
The rights advocates made demand during a press conference after Fawehinmi’s posthumous 87th birthday on April 22, denouncing the building as illegal and a grave risk to the safety, privacy, and legacy of his family.
In a statement jointly signed by human rights lawyers and activists Femi Falana, SAN; Clement, SAN; Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN; Adindu Ugwuzor; Richard Akinnola; Edetaen Ojo; Bayo Alabidun, and Lanre Arogundade, they said that the purpose of the gathering was to demand justice for Chief Gani Fawehinmi and the great family he left behind.
“The essence is to see that justice is done and manifestly seen to be done. In this regard, this marks the beginning of a series of actions we might be compelled to embark upon until we attain that goal of justice.”
According to them, the four-storey building, referred to as a “so-called apartment” but identified as a hotel, was erected with blatant disregard for Lagos State’s urban planning laws, particularly the mandatory three-metre minimum setback between buildings.
They alleged that the developers ignored multiple warnings from the Fawehinmi family and constructed the building almost directly on the property’s boundary wall.
“So brazen were the dare-devil builders or developers that they ignored family warnings and chose to build their structure almost on top of Chief Gani’s fence,” they said.
“It is possible that they believe they are above the law. Or perhaps, they bear some grudge against Chief Gani and his family and therefore do not see anything wrong in their brazen act of recklessness and injustice. But, whoever they think they are and whatever their motive, our stance is that this injustice should not, cannot and must not be allowed to stand.”
They also raised serious security concerns, stating that the building’s height and location pose risks to the privacy and safety of the Fawehinmi household, potentially serving as a surveillance point or access route for individuals with criminal intentions.
