Alleged N50m debt: Court begins hearing in suit against National Stadium concession May 16

A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Kwali, Abuja, will on Friday May 16 begin hearing in a N50 million debt suit against GreenArps Project Limited, linked to a business mogul, Kessington Adebutu, popularly known as Baba Ijebu.

The suit filed on behalf of a technical consortium to GreenArps Project Limited is specifically seeking an order of court directing the defendant to pay its remaining balance of N50 million as well as the interest that has accrued since 2023.

The technical consortium had helped GreenArps to bid and win the concession of the National Stadium, Lagos, in 2023.

However, hearing into the suit is commencing when the concession is to be brought before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for approval.

The consortium had dragged GreenArps Project Limited to court for allegedly refusing to pay them the remaining balance of negotiated fees and further services rendered, which they said directly led to the company’s successful concession bid.

At the last proceedings on May 9, trial judge, Justice Abdulraman Usman, fixed May 16 for commencement of speedy trial in the suit filed since January 10, 2025.

Much progress has not been made in the hearing owing to objection on grounds of jurisdiction raised by the defendant, who was yet to file a defense in the matter.

The claimant, Raji Rasaq Adeshina, who sued on behalf of himself and other technical partners, had in March, citing the alleged failure of the defendant to file a defense, urged the court to transfer the suit to the Undefended List and enter judgment in his favour.

But the judge in his ruling declined to transfer the suit to the Undefended List and rather ordered a Fast Track Procedure and fixed May 9, for hearing.

Displeased with the ruling, the defendant on May 5, brought an application seeking a stay of proceedings on account of an appeal it lodged at the Court of Appeal on May 2 against the April 9 ruling of the court.

But in a counter affidavit, the claimant’s lawyer, Austin Otah, accused the defendant of attempting to truncate the May 9 proceedings and urged the court to discountenance the application and go ahead with the trial.

“In the instant case, the applicant has failed to file any pleadings yet seeks to truncate or suspend or vitiate the proceedings before this Honourable Court not on the merit of its defence, if any, to this suit but by other spurious, frivolous or desperate means paying no attention to the guidelines by which the legal practitioner is guided by the Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners, 2023.

“Its Motion consequently prays for and rests on nothing and is thereby not competent and must needs, fail,” the claimant submitted.

In the suit marked: CV/57/2025, and filed on January 10, 2025, the claimant is seeking an order of court directing the defendant to pay its remaining balance of N50 million as well as the interest that has accrued since 2023.

GreenArps Project Limited is a company owned and managed by Business Mogul, Kessington Adebukuola Adebutu, popularly known as Baba Ijebu.

The company is alleged to have defaulted in the full payment of negotiated fees and further services rendered by the technical consortium which directly led to the company’s successful concession bid for the National Stadium, Lagos, in November 2023.

Alleged N50m debt: Court begins hearing in suit against National Stadium concession May 16