BREAKING: Nigeria’s Secret Police DSS Invites Convener Of Lagos Group For Suing State Govt, Others Over Dangote’s $100Million Land Deal

The Department of State Services (DSS) in Nigeria recently summoned Comrade Jamiu Olayinka, a leader of the Ibeju-Lekki Peoples Forum, for questioning. This action follows a lawsuit filed by the forum and De Renaissance Patriots Foundation against the Lagos State government. The lawsuit demands transparency about a $100 million land deal involving Aliko Dangote’s refinery. The plaintiffs seek to clarify whether Dangote actually paid this sum to the state and why no public statement was made about the transaction.On September 13, 2024, Olayinka was asked to visit the DSS office, where he was questioned about the lawsuit. He reported that the DSS seemed surprised by the forum’s official registration documents, suggesting that the purpose of the questioning might be to pressure them into dropping the case. Despite the encounter, Olayinka assured his supporters that they would not be intimidated.The case, filed in the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, also names Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and several other officials as defendants. The applicants are pushing for a court order to force the government to release detailed information about the transaction. Their aim is to ensure that public funds are handled transparently and accountably.Human rights lawyer Barrister Yakubu Eleto, representing the applicants, criticized the Lagos State Government for allegedly using the DSS to intimidate the plaintiffs rather than addressing the substantive issues raised in their FOI request. The lawsuit and the associated legal proceedings seek to uncover the truth behind the financial dealings related to the Dangote refinery and its impact on the local community.