Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro SAN, has refuted claims that the state government defied a valid court order during the demolition of houses in Oworonshoki, insisting that no directive from the court was served on any agency prior to the operation.
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Pedro, who addressed the controversy in Lagos, described reports of contempt of court as “misleading and unfair,” stating that government agencies only act on officially served processes, not hearsay.
According to him, the interim injunction being circulated was obtained on the same day the demolition exercise was carried out, and had not been delivered to the relevant authorities before the action took place.
“There was no order served on any government agency before the demolition. Even if the order was made on that Friday, can you serve a government office on Saturday? As at the time of the exercise, nobody in government had seen any such order,” Pedro explained.
The Attorney General noted that the exercise began about a month earlier and was only paused based on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s directive to allow affected occupants time to move out, while compensation was processed.
He alleged that despite doubts over the legal status of the properties, the government still paid compensation to support relocation.
“They knew demolition was coming but only rushed to court after collecting compensation. Government acted in good faith and cannot be blamed for enforcing the law,” he said.
Pedro stressed that many of the structures stood on government-acquired land or lacked proper building approvals, insisting that legality must be the foundation for any property ownership claims.
“We always react emotionally without asking: were these buildings approved? If you build without approval, the law is clear,” he added.
He confirmed that his office, which is a party to the court case, had not yet been formally served with the injunction, describing the proceedings as ex parte and pursued without fair hearing.
On public concerns, Pedro urged Nigerians to stop “weaponising the media” against law enforcement, especially where illegal construction poses threats such as building collapse.
The Lagos State Government has maintained that due process was followed and the operation only targeted illegal developments on land planned for public use.
Meanwhile, some residents insist the state acted in violation of a restraining order and have vowed to continue their legal challenge.
The situation in Oworonshoki remains tense as displaced families seek clarity on their next steps while awaiting further court proceedings.
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