Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has condemned the recent demolition of buildings in Oworonshoki, Lagos, describing the action as a violation of the Constitution and a subsisting court order.
Speaking on Arise Television on Friday, Falana said the demolitions, which took place at midnight last Saturday, ignored a restraining order issued by the Lagos State High Court. He noted that the order had been duly served on relevant government agencies before the operation began.
“The court granted an order stopping further demolitions until the matter is heard. By Friday, certified copies were served, yet by Saturday night, bulldozers invaded Oworonshoki,” Falana said.
“When I contacted an official, he told me, ‘We are going to do it, and heaven will not fall.’ That shows total contempt for the rule of law.”
Falana cited Section 43 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees every Nigerian the right to own property anywhere in the country, as well as Article 14 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which upholds similar protections.
He argued that no governor or minister has the authority to order demolitions without a court ruling, stressing that only a competent court or legally constituted tribunal can authorise such actions.
“No executive officer can unilaterally declare a property illegal and demolish it. Due process must be followed,” he said.
The Lagos State Government, however, denied violating any court order. Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the operation targeted illegal structures on drainage channels and road setbacks as part of the state’s urban renewal and flood prevention efforts.
Omotoso maintained that the exercise was aimed at restoring environmental integrity and that the government would not willfully disobey a valid court order.
The demolitions, which affected the Coker and Ojulari communities, occurred hours after the government had promised to compensate displaced residents.
Legal experts have since urged the state to balance its urban development initiatives with citizens’ constitutional rights to property and fair hearing.
