He said the executive arm of government should accord respect to the judicial arm and avoid giving an impression that court orders had no value or impact.
Human rights lawyer, Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, SAN, has accused the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led Lagos State government of flagrantly disobeying Court orders with impunity.
Adegboruwa, who is former member of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry, in a media statement titled, “Disobedience of Court Order in Kings County v Lagos State Government", warned that the state government should not by its actions encourage lawlessness to an extent that the citizens are provoked to take the laws into their hands.
The human rights lawyer, detailing the instance where the government had violated the orders of the court, said the executive arm of government should accord respect to the judicial arm and avoid giving an impression that court orders had no value or impact.
He noted that the disobedience to valid court orders by the Lagos State government is concerning a suit on a property on Alexander/Bourdillon Road, at the foot of the Ikoyi Link Bridge.
Adegboruwa said, “It is the subject matter of litigation in Suit No. LD/8305LMW/2019, currently pending before the Hon Justice Ogunjobi of the High Court of Lagos State. The claimant erected the building with full government approval, as a free Cancer Treatment Center.
"In this case, the Claimant has closed its case and it was for defence to open on 4th July, 2022. On that day, the claimant was in court with its lawyers but the witness of the defendants was not in court so further trial had to be adjourned."
He, however, noted that there was a subsisting order of Injunction on the case which had not vacated.
He said, "On July 25, 2019, the Honourable Justice Okunnu made an order, directing the parties to maintain the status quo in the case. In particular, the court directed the defendants, that is the Lagos State Government and all its functionaries, not to take any step towards revoking or acquiring the property of the claimant whilst the case is in court.
"After the issuance of the order preserving the res, the Lagos State Government through the office of the Hon Attorney-General in the court proceedings of 30 Sept 2020, indicated on record that the Defendants are complying with the said preservative orders."
Adegboruwa regretted that the state government in violation of the order of the court, "on July 8, 2022, policemen said to be from the office of the Governor of Lagos State, stormed the building, removing its windows and doors. Upon inquiry, they claimed that they had an order to demolish the building.
"It is unlawful for government to seek to take the laws into its hands in order to overreach the case that is pending in court."