2 weeks ago
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A Lagos-based non-profit organisation, Mental and Environmental Development Initiative for Children (MEDIC), has called connected the Lagos State authorities and applicable biology and instrumentality enforcement agencies to retrieve its donor-funded assets pursuing the termination of its lease astatine Elegushi Beach, Lagos.
In a connection signed by its Head of Admin, Media and Communications, Mr Vincent Onyama, MEDIC said it was “deeply acrophobic implicit the alleged seizure and commercialized usage of its foundation assets by Box Mall/SOL Beach and associated parties,” noting that the spot successful question was acquired done donor enactment and meant for nationalist biology education.
Founded successful 2011, helium said MEDIC is simply a community-driven non-governmental organisation promoting histrion planting, recycling and water conservation, adding that it gained nationalist attraction for its Kids Beach Garden project, launched successful 2015 to thatch biology consciousness to schoolchildren and supply greenish jobs for women and younker done recycling and coastal clean-ups.
MEDIC said it moved the Kids Beach Garden to Elegushi Beach successful 2020 and operated there, “in afloat compliance with its lease obligations, including attraction charges and agreed-upon impermanent levies.”
Trouble reportedly began successful 2024 erstwhile the beach’s lessor entered a caller concern with SOL Beach by Box Mall “without anterior announcement to relocate its instrumentality oregon pass its donors.”
MEDIC alleged that the struggle escalated successful aboriginal 2025 aft Box Mall ordered the organisation to region a 20-foot recycling container, donated by the Nigerian Bottling Company, wrong 3 days oregon hazard having it dismantled.
“MEDIC’s Board of Trustees subsequently resolved to relocate each assets to a caller tract astatine Akodo Ise, Ibeju-Lekki.
“On March 31, 2025, the organisation formally notified Box Mall successful writing, requesting supervised entree to retrieve its assets, valued astatine ₦44,046,500 (as of September 2024).
“While Box Mall acknowledged receipt of this letter, consequent retrieval attempts were obstructed and its unit were allegedly harassed during the process,” Onyama said.
In its statement, Box Mall maintained that each the spot “found connected tract astatine the clip of possession” belonged to it, a assertion MEDIC powerfully disputed, arguing that the items were donor-funded and held successful charitable trust.
The non-profit enactment further alleged that Box Mall “has since been utilizing these assets for backstage gain, contempt ongoing constabulary interventions and petitions filed with applicable authorities.
“Our organisation has spent implicit a decennary gathering biology acquisition and livelihood programs for children and women done community-driven conservation.
“It is heartbreaking to spot donor-funded work, including trees planted and assets purchased for nationalist benefit, being commercialised without transparency oregon consent,” the connection quoted MEDIC’s founder, Ms Doyinsola Ogunye, arsenic saying.
Reacting to the allegations, the company’s spokesperson, Ms Bolaji Ehinsanmi said, “We are alert of the mendacious and defamatory claims being circulated by Ms Doyinsola Ogunye regarding alleged “assets” and “trees” astatine Elegushi Beach.
“For the record, the substance she refers to was afloat addressed done the Lagos State Police Command and the AIG mediation, wherever she signed and confirmed successful penning that she had retrieved each her trees and materials from the property.
“This contented was primitively betwixt her and the landlord, not BoxMall oregon its management. Despite this resolution, Ms Ogunye has continued to harass and defame our institution online and successful nonrecreational forums, seemingly for fiscal summation and to unit america into further concessions.
“BoxMall and SOL Beach Elegushi run with afloat transparency and documented approvals. We person nary outstanding claims oregon liabilities to Ms Ogunye. Any further nationalist defamation volition beryllium met with ineligible enactment for harassment, defamation and quality injury. We promote each manufacture members to disregard her mendacious statements and trust lone connected verified documentation and the authoritative constabulary grounds of resolution.”
English (US) ·