Falana Slams Lagos Govt Over Demolitions in Defiance of Court Order

…How Residents Were Uprooted From Homes At Midnight by Bulldozers, Policemen and Thugs

By Yinka Giwa
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has accused the Lagos State government of “gross contempt and flagrant disobedience” of a valid court order following midnight demolitions in Oworonshoki that left hundreds of residents homeless.

In a statement, Falana said Justice A.G. Balogun of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja Division, had on October 23, 2025, granted an injunction restraining the Lagos State Government, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) from further demolishing buildings on Ajileru Street, Ososa Extension, and Toluwalase Extension within the Itesiwaju Ajumoni Community Development Area of Oworonshoki.

According to Falana, the order was duly served on all parties the next day. Despite this, state officials allegedly returned to the community under the cover of darkness, accompanied by over 50 armed policemen and suspected thugs, to carry out a fresh wave of demolitions.

“In flagrant breach and contempt of the subsisting court order and upon the service of the court order on them, the defendants mobilized over 50 armed policemen and thugs who fired teargas throughout the night to disperse those protesting the demolition and proceeded to commence a fresh demolition,” Falana said.

He added that the demolition, carried out “in the dead of night,” resulted in the destruction of more than 100 properties, leaving many families displaced and without shelter. “The action of the demolition squad was not authorised by any court,” he insisted.

The senior lawyer compared the incident to the 1986 Supreme Court case of Military Governor of Lagos State & Ors. v. Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu & Anor, where the apex court condemned the Lagos government for defying judicial orders even under military rule. Quoting Justice Obaseki’s pronouncement from that landmark decision, Falana recalled:

“In the area where the rule of law operates, the rule of self-help by force is abandoned. Nigeria, being one of the countries in the world which proclaims loudly to follow the rule of law, there is no room for the rule of self-help by force to operate. Once a dispute has arisen between a person and the government or authority and the dispute has been brought before the court, it is the duty of the government to allow the law to take its course.”

Falana described the Oworonshoki demolitions as a “sad reminder of the Lagos State government’s long-standing disregard for the judiciary,” warning that such actions “undermine democracy and citizens’ faith in the legal system.”

Residents of the affected community recounted harrowing scenes of chaos and destruction as the demolition team arrived late at night. “We were jolted awake by loud noises and shouting,” said a widow who lost her home. “Before we could even gather our things, the bulldozers were already tearing down walls. We begged them to stop and show us a court order, but they just told us to get out.”

Another resident, a shopkeeper, said he lost his entire stock to the operation. “I’ve lived and worked here all my life,” he said. “Everything I own, my shop, my goods, my documents, was destroyed in one night. They treated us like criminals, not citizens.”

Community leaders estimate that the demolitions have displaced thousands of residents and deepened Lagos’s growing housing crisis. Many of the affected families are now sleeping in makeshift shelters or with relatives, uncertain of when or if they will be able to rebuild.

Despite mounting public outrage, including an order from the Lagos State House of Assembly directing the task force to halt further demolitions, reports indicate that the exercise has continued. Civil society groups have condemned the government’s actions, calling for accountability and urgent relief for the displaced.

Falana urged the state government to respect the rule of law and immediately stop what he described as “reckless and unlawful demolitions,” warning that persistent contempt for judicial authority could have grave legal and political consequences.

“The Lagos State government must stop this culture of impunity,” he said. “No one, not even the government, is above the law.”