By Dalena Reporters, Lagos | October 26, 2025
In a development that has triggered widespread outrage and raised serious concerns over rule of law, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has condemned the Lagos State Government for demolishing more than a hundred homes in Oworonshoki, despite a subsisting court order restraining authorities from carrying out the exercise.
According to Sahara Reporters’ findings, the demolitions occurred in the dead of night, with armed policemen and hired thugs accompanying state task force operatives who allegedly fired teargas and forcibly displaced residents. The affected areas include Ajileru Street, Ososa Extension, and Toluwalase Extension within the Itesiwaju Ajumoni Community of Oworonshoki.
On October 23, 2025, Justice A. G. Balogun of the Lagos High Court issued an injunction barring the Lagos State Government, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) from demolishing any structures in the community pending determination of a substantive suit.
The injunction was reportedly served on the defendants the following day. However, instead of complying, the government allegedly mobilised forces to execute demolitions under the cover of darkness, an act Falana described as “a reckless display of power and total disregard for judicial authority.”
In a strongly worded statement, Falana accused the state of acting in contempt of court, referencing the landmark Supreme Court decision in Military Governor of Lagos State & Ors. v. Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu & Anor (1986), which warned against self-help by the state when legal disputes are pending before the courts.
“The Lagos State Government has acted in flagrant violation of an order of a competent court,” Falana said. “When a government that is supposed to protect the law becomes its violator, democracy itself is endangered.”
He urged the judiciary to sanction the responsible officials and warned that such behaviour, if left unchecked, would deepen the country’s culture of impunity.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that over 100 buildings were flattened, leaving families stranded and properties destroyed without prior notice or relocation assistance.
Teargas fumes reportedly filled the air as residents—many of them women and children—fled into the night clutching whatever possessions they could salvage.
Civil rights advocates say the demolitions violate both the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights instruments to which Nigeria is a signatory, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The Lagos State House of Assembly had earlier urged a suspension of the demolition campaign, yet the state enforcement teams continued operations.
Observers argue this defiance highlights an ongoing power struggle between the legislature, judiciary, and executive arms in Nigeria’s most populous state.
Human rights groups have since called for:
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Immediate rebuilding or compensation for affected families.
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Prosecution of officials who disobeyed the court order.
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Legislative oversight hearings into the conduct of the Lagos State Building Control Agency and Ministry of Physical Planning.
Broader Implications
The Oworonshoki demolitions underscore the fragile nature of citizen protection in Nigeria’s urban governance.
While government authorities cite urban renewal and environmental safety, critics insist the exercise reflects a pattern of forced evictions targeting low-income settlements without due process.
As Falana’s legal team prepares to pursue contempt proceedings, the incident stands as yet another test of whether the rule of law still holds meaning in Lagos—a city where the push for modernisation increasingly collides with the rights of the poor.