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By Maduka Nweke
With the demolition of more buildings in Oworonshoki axis of Lagos State, more residents are rendered homeless fuelling expectations that criminal activities will increase in the area and spread to nearby suburbs.
Recently, the Lagos State Government embarked on fresh demolition of buildings, a situation that rendered many residents of Oworonshoki homeless. It was gathered that the latest wave of demolitions struck the Coker and Ojulari areas of Oworonshoki around midnight last Saturday, hours after the state government announced that about 80 affected property owners had been compensated.
According to eyewitnesses, bulldozers, accompanied by armed security personnel, moved into the community under the cover of darkness to pull down remaining structures that had been spared during earlier phases of the exercise. Meanwhile, a human rights lawyer and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, accused the Lagos State Government of demolishing at least 100 properties in Oworonsoki despite a restraining order from the court.
Earlier, Justice Adegboyega Balogun of the Lagos State High Court issued an interim order stopping further demolition of properties in parts of Oworonsoki, following complaints by affected residents who denied receiving any compensation. The judge granted the restraining order against the respondents and their agents or contractors from carrying out further demolitions or creating third-party interests over properties located on Ojileru Street, Ososa Extension, and Toluwalase Street within the Itesiwaju Ajumoni Community Development Area (CDA).
However, the state government reportedly carried out the demolition, a situation Falana frowned at. In a statement to that effect, Falana said the recent demolition exercise has led many families to be displaced.
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“In flagrant breach and contempt of the subsisting court order and upon the service of the court order on them, the defendants mobilised 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,” the statement in part read.
“The demolition, which was carried out in the dead of the night, has led to the destruction of not less than 100 properties, with many families displaced. The action of the demolition squad was not authorised by any court. The action of the demolished squad is a sad reminder of the aggravated contempt committed by the Lagos State Government, 39 years ago, in the celebrated case of The Military Governor of Lagos State & Ors. v. Chief Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu & Anor (1986) 2 NWLR (PT 18) 621, where the Supreme Court set a precedent against disregard for due process and the rule of law.
“Notwithstanding that the country was then under a military junta, the Supreme Court deprecated the action of the Lagos State Government in defying a court order and resorting to self-help,” it added.
In its defence, the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), denied the claim that the government willfully disobeyed a subsisting court order by continuing demolition of houses in Oworonshoki, describing it as “false and unfair.”
Pedro, while briefing journalists at Alausa, Ikeja, said no order of court had been served on any agency of the Lagos State Government before the latest phase of demolition took place contrary to reports that the exercise violated a restraining order allegedly obtained by residents. According to reports, the Lagos State Government, through relevant authorities, had last Saturday demolished several structures said to have been built without approved plans.
