Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has accused the Lagos State Government of brazen executive impunity and contempt of court over its continued demolition of waterfront properties in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, Sogunro, and Iwaya communities, despite multiple court orders restraining such actions.
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In a statement issued from Lagos, Falana highlighted three court judgments that have declared the demolitions and evictions illegal, yet the state government has persisted in destroying properties, including schools and medical centres, resulting in loss of lives and displacement of thousands of residents.
Falana recalled that on June 22, 2017, the Lagos High Court declared illegal and unconstitutional the series of brutal, government-ordered evictions that had left more than 30,000 Nigerians homeless.
The presiding Judge, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (now retired), ruled that the rights of the residents had been violated and awarded reparation of N3.5 million in favour of the claimants.
The judge further ordered a stop to future evictions in a move that could prevent an estimated 270,000 other residents of Lagos from losing their prime waterfront homes to urban development.
Having regard to the urban renewal policy of the state government, the court directed the authorities to discuss re-settlement plans with affected communities.
In another judgment delivered on August 25, 2025, Justice F.N. Ogazi of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos restrained the Lagos State Government, its agencies, and the Nigeria Police Force from carrying out any further unlawful demolitions or evictions in the Makoko, Oko-Agbon, Sogunro, and Iwaya waterfront communities of the State.
The judicial order was granted to protect the settlements in view of the “continuous threat and fear of imminent demolition” faced by the residents.
The decision followed several years of tension between the waterfront communities and the State Government, which has been accused of forcefully acquiring the land for private development without compensation or resettlement plans.
Despite these court orders, Falana stated that in a brazen display of executive impunity, the Lagos State Government has continued to demolish the waterfront properties, including schools and medical centres.
“In the process of the reckless demolitions and evictions, some citizens have lost their lives, while thousands of others have been displaced,” the senior advocate noted.
Falana emphasized that the action of the Lagos State Government is highly contemptuous of a Supreme Court judgment delivered on January 7, 2024, in the legal dispute between the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Lagos State Government.
According to the apex court, existing laws have conferred exclusive control of activities in the inland waterways on the federal government through its agencies, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), and no other tier of government.
The Supreme Court clarified that NIWA is the only rightful and legal agency of government with the “powers to exclusively manage, direct and control all activities on the navigable waters and its right of way throughout the country for inland navigation, pursuant to Sections 8 and 9 of NIWA Act.”
Falana argued: “Since the exclusive control of activities in the inland waterways has been conferred on the federal government through its agency, the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and no other tier of government, the demolitions of the properties in the waterfront communities in Lagos State is illegal, unconstitutional and contemptuous. It is a glaring sabotage of the judicial arm of government.”
In urging the Lagos State Government to comply with the valid and subsisting judgments and halt further demolitions and evictions of poor people in the State, Falana reminded Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the case of The Military Governor of Lagos State v Chief Emeka Ojukwu.
In that landmark case, the defunct military junta complied with the order of the Supreme Court by restoring the respondent to the disputed property at Oyinkan Abayomi Drive, Lagos State.
The senior advocate’s reference to this case underscores the principle that even military governments, which typically exercised authoritarian powers, recognized and complied with court orders—making the current civilian administration’s defiance even more egregious.
Falana’s statement represents a direct challenge to the Lagos State Government to respect the rule of law and comply with multiple court judgments that have consistently ruled against the demolitions and evictions.
The continued defiance of court orders raises serious questions about the state government’s commitment to constitutional governance and the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights to property and dignity.
As of the time of this report, the Lagos State Government had not issued any response to Falana’s allegations or indicated any plan to comply with the outstanding court orders.
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