Police retreat from court as Makoko protest case collapses

A youth leader from the Makoko waterfront community in Lagos,  Oluwatobi Aide, has regained his freedom after spending four days in what activists described as illegal detention by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Nigerian Police Force.

Mr Aide was released at about 7pm on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, following sustained pressure from rights activists, lawyers and civil society organisations, according to Hassan Taiwo Soweto, National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC).

Soweto said Mr Aide was arrested on Sunday for peacefully protesting against the demolition of homes in Makoko, which he described as an “illegal exercise carried out by the Lagos State Government in the interest of property developers and the privileged elite”.

He explained that the youth leader was taken to the Mobile Court in Oshodi around 11am on Wednesday to be arraigned on what he termed a “false charge of conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace”.

“However, around 1pm, while waiting for the court session to commence, the police beat a hasty retreat and decided not to proceed with the arraignment,” Soweto said.

According to him, the withdrawal followed the intervention of human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), who contacted police authorities and warned against further violations of Mr Aide’s fundamental rights.

Mr Aide was subsequently returned to the RRS office in Alausa, where he was granted administrative bail later in the day. Soweto, however, said the process was delayed by what he described as “tortuous hours of drama”.

“The police initially imposed onerous bail conditions, including a demand for a guarantor who must be a civil servant on Grade Level 14,” he said.

After a tense standoff, the police reportedly agreed to accept Comrade Moshood Oshunfurewa, a leading member of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM) and Assistant General Secretary of the Precision Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association (PERESSA), alongside Comrade Onabule Mayowa, also of the DSM, as sureties.

Soweto expressed gratitude to Falana for his swift intervention and thanked lawyers from Inibehe Effiong Chambers, including Mr Joseph Opute, Mr Dapo Ebiesuwa, Mr Taiwo Olawale and Mr Joshua, for their efforts.

He also acknowledged the role of activists and organisations that amplified calls for Mr Aide’s release, naming the Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEEHOPE), Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).

“We are deeply grateful to the community of activists who sustained pressure on the police and to those who were ready to stand surety in court,” Soweto said, adding special appreciation for individuals who worked behind the scenes to coordinate the legal response and support Mr Aide during his detention.