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REVEALED: #Ikoyi Collapsed Building Moneybags—-For months, they remained unknown, unseen and unheard of. When many were mourning the loss of lives and asking questions, they remained quiet.

Now the veil has been lifted off the owners of the collapsed Ikoyi building, which killed scores of workers and others, including the owner of Fourscore Heights Limited, the company that initiated the project, Mr Femi Odubona.

The property on 44B, Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, went down on November 1,2021. Subscribers reportedly paid millions of dollars for a piece of what promised to be a beautiful edifice with a commanding height on the skyline of Ikoyi – home of the rich and powerful.

Now, the mystery of the owners of the doomed property has been resolved. Some individuals have gone to court in a desperate bid to stop the Lagos State Government from demolishing the other buildings on the site after experts have certified them unfit to stand.

Among the unlucky investors are mainly big businessmen and women: A senior lawyer, Mr Oluwemimo Adepoju Ogunde SAN, a pastor, Mr Adetola Odutola, Mr Bola Odutola, Mrs Bunmi Odutola, Mr Ghandi Olaoye,Ms Zahra Temitope Motomori, Mr Adewale Folowosele, Mr Moses Anibaba, Mrs Margret Anibaba, Dr Oladipo Oluyomi, Mrs Adepeju Oluyomi and Mr Tayo Oladapo.

There are, also, two companies Kwara Business School Limitedand Saikoyi Property Limited. The owners are not specified.

Where have they been all this while? Why did they not approach the panel of inquiry set up by the government to say all they knew about the property? Are they more interested in their money than the lives lost in this misadventure? These are some of the questions people are asking.

A government source said the state was studying the memorandum of claim served on the company handling the demolition of the two buildings that were left standing after the incident. “However, it is not right for them to say that the government can’t take over the property. The law states explicitly that when a property collapses, the government automatically takes over the property.”

The source added: “It’s all in the public interest and the government said so. Where were they when the Panel of Inquiry sat and took far-reaching decisions on the matter. The Government has even issued a White Paper. Were they ashamed of claiming their right? Don’t you wonder the kind of investors we are talking about? They couldn’t even ask for insurance before shelling out the huge cash they claimed to have paid the late owner of the property.”

Some of the investors said they paid the late Odubona various sums of money in dollars -$120,000, $111, 111. 11, $20,000, $315,586.78 and $7,708.

They said it was the alleged negligence of government agencies that led to the collapse of the building, but a source who testified at the sitting of the Panel of Inquiry said that there was evidence that the site was sealed off by the Ministry of Physical Planning. “Its officials were attacked at the site. In fact, the promoter of the project was arrested. The site was reopened and the promoter was yet to show proof of all he was asked to do before the building collapsed.” He said, adding: “Now, they want to put the blame on the government; that is being clever by half.”

A source who pleaded for anonymity said: “Now that the owners or potential owners of the doomed property have shown their face, those who lost their loved ones can go after them for compensation.”

The Lagos State Government is yet to react to the call for a meeting by the subscribers.

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JUST IN: Crystal Palace Relegated to Conference League Amid Ownership Controversy

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Crystal Palace Relegated to Conference League

JUST IN: Crystal Palace Relegated to Conference League Amid Ownership Controversy—-Crystal Palace have been demoted from the Europa League to the Conference League next season by the UEFA governing body due to multi-club rules.

The governing body’s decision stems from Palace breaching its multi-club ownership rules and Uefa said the Eagles could appeal its ruling with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Nottingham Forest, who finished seventh in the Premier League last season, could replace FA Cup winners Palace in the Europa League.

Eagle Football Holdings – owned by American businessman John Textor – holds stakes in Palace and Lyon, with Uefa rules stating that clubs owned, to a certain threshold of influence, by the same person or entity cannot compete in the same European competition.

Uefa’s rules set a deadline of 1 March 2025 to show proof of multi-club ownership restructuring – a deadline which Palace missed.

Palace argued Textor does not hold any decisive influence at the club, but Uefa have not accepted the Premier League side’s defence.

Lyon, who also qualified for next season’s Europa League, take precedence over Palace because of their higher league position.

The seven-time French champions finished sixth in Ligue 1, with Palace 12th in the Premier League but qualifying for European competition by winning the FA Cup.

Earlier this week Lyon won their appeal against relegation from Ligue 1 after they were demoted for financial reasons, which affected Palace’s chances of playing in the Europa League.

Had Lyon’s relegation been upheld, they had agreed with Uefa to be excluded from the Europa League, clearing the way for Palace to play in the competition.

English football has two allocated Europa League spots, with Aston Villa securing the other after finishing sixth in the Premier League.

Forest replace Palace in the Europa League after finishing seventh, with their Conference League spot going to the Eagles instead.

More to follow.

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Chelsea Permit Noni Madueke To Undergo Medical Ahead Of Arsenal Move

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Chelsea Permit Noni Madueke To Undergo Medical

Chelsea Permit Noni Madueke To Undergo MedicalAhead Of ArsenalMove—-Chelsea have reported given Noni Madueke permission to undergo a medical with Arsenal in London ahead of his £52m proposed moved away from the club.

The England international, 23, will not train with Chelsea in the United States on Friday and instead travel back to the UK.

An agreement has been reached on a £52million ($70.38m) deal while personal terms were previously agreed on a five-year contract.

Madueke is set to become the second player to move from Chelsea to Arsenal this summer after goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga made the move across the capital for £5m. Raheem Sterling, Jorginho, Kai Havertz and Willian also all moved from Stamford Bridge to north London during manager Mikel Arteta’s tenure.

After joining Chelsea from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in 2023 in a deal worth €33m, Madueke made 92 appearances for the west London club, scoring 20 goals and providing nine assists. He appeared in five of Chelsea’s Club World Cup games in the U.S., where Enzo Maresca’s side have reached the tournament’s final.

Madueke began his career in the academies of Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur before moving to PSV as a 16-year-old in 2018. Initially appearing for the club’s reserve side, he made his senior debut in January 2020 and went on to become an established part of the team the following season. He made 80 appearances for the club, recording 20 goals and 13 assists.

The England international is Arsenal’s fourth signing of the summer after the arrivals of Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad and Christian Norgaard from Brentford.

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