The Ogun State Government has dismissed claims that the Court of Appeal dismissed its case against Datkems, a company linked to Senator Gbenga Daniel, representing Ogun East in the National Assembly.
The state government clarified that it only withdrew one of the four appeals it filed against Datkems, due to a procedural error in the title, and that all other appeals remain pending.
In a statement released on Wednesday by Hon. Kayode Akinmade, the Special Adviser on Media and Strategy to the Governor, the Ogun State Government refuted reports suggesting a judicial defeat.
“The Ogun State Government still has three strong appeals against Datkems’ business. Those appeals are pending, ongoing, and have been adjourned to 19 May 2025 for hearing,” the statement read. “Datkems has yet to submit any arguments in those appeals.”
The government explained that the withdrawal of one appeal was due to an error in the title of the Notice of Appeal, and that the decision was made with the court’s knowledge.
“Because the government had expressly informed the court of its decision to abandon the appeal, the court took a procedural decision to end the appeal and delete the appeal number,” the statement continued, adding that this decision does not affect the government’s right to reinitiate the appeal.
Furthermore, the statement accused Datkems of misrepresenting its legal standing. “Datkems filed the case against the Ogun State Government on 7 September 2023, describing itself as Datkems Enterprises Limited, but the Ogun State Government’s diligent investigation exposed it as a fraud, as no company named Datkems Enterprises had ever been registered,” it read. “Datkems had no answer to that point at the trial court and has had no answer to this day.”
The Ogun State Government expressed confidence that it would prevail in the ongoing legal battle, stating that Datkems’ attempts to exaggerate its position in the case would not succeed. “Time will tell. And the Ogun State Government will prevail,” the statement concluded.