Court Stops Lagos Govt, Others From Demolishing Okokomaiko Residents’ Properties

PAUL IYOGHOJIE

The Federal High Court in Lagos, Nigeria have issued an order of interim injunction restraining the Lagos State Government; Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA; Lagos State Ministry of Transportation; Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement (Task Force); Nigeria Police Force; Inspector General of Police; Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Police Command; CSP Adetayo Akerele and other officials from invading, demolishing, pillaging, vandanlizing or forcefully ejecting the residents of Church Estate l, Church Estate 2, Jubilee Estate and Igbeyin-Adun Community in Okokomaiko, Ojo Local Government area of Lagos State, pending the hearing and final determination of the originating summons in an exparte motion filed on behalf of the 55 residents of the Community by their Counsel, Mr Femi Dodo.

The order was granted by Justice Musa Kakaki of the Federal High Court in Lagos in the suit marked FHC/ MISC/152/2026.

Barrister Dodo had told the Court that his clients decided to approach the Court for the enforcement of their rights following persistent threat by the respondents to demolish their properties at Church Estate 1, Church Estate 2, Jubilee Estate and Igbeyin-Adun Community in Okokomaiko, for unjustifiable reasons, insisting that the residents had been dwelling in the area for over 50 years without any problems till now when the Lagos State Government through the LAMATA started threatening them to demolish their properties.

After listening to the Counsel to the applicants in the exparte motion, Justice Kakaki directed the respondents to stop any forms of demolition or threat of demolition of the applicants properties pending the hearing and final determination of the originating summons and granted the leave of the Court to the applicants to serve the order of the interim injunction, the originating summons and all other processes on the respondents and adjourned the case till 15 April, 2026 for further hearing.

The applicants in the case are Mr. Peter Okoye; Inionbong Edem Effiong; Michael Nduka Orafu; Eric Anemeje; Ilonde Okechukwu Peter; Uche Onu  and Obidike Chekwube.

Others are Mr Omenogor Nduka Victor; Mark Saviour Egbonu; Ekenedili Chukwu Marvellous; Felix  Egwumba; Anthony  Inaboghuma; Ibiyemi Sarafa Adewale; Chukwudi Onyeka; Mrs Adeyemi Foluke Temilade; Michael Ejike Agu and Michael Anayo Onyejekwe and Joseph Okpara.

Others included Mr Mallami Ibrahim; Afesnsumem Desmond; Mrs Inionbong Effiong Udoh; Sunday Daniel; Mrs Umeh Victus, Emeka Ugoka; Emmanuel Obuseh and 40 others.