Federal High Court stops LASG, LAMATA, Police from demolishing Okokomaiko community

By Paul Iyoghojie

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, has issued an order of interim injunction restraining the Lagos State Government, the Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit (Task Force), the Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector General of Police, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Lagos State Police Command, CSP Adetayo Akerele, and other officials from invading, demolishing, vandalizing, pillaging, or forcefully ejecting residents of Church Estate 1, Church Estate 2, Jubilee Estate, and Igbeyin-Adun Community in Okokomaiko, Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The injunction will remain in effect pending the hearing and final determination of the originating summons in an ex parte motion filed on behalf of 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 suit number FHC/MISC/152/2026.

Barrister Dodo informed the Court that his clients approached the Court to enforce their rights following persistent threats by the respondents to demolish their properties in the aforementioned communities. He argued that the residents have lived in the area for over fifty years without issue, until recently when the Lagos State Government, through LAMATA, began threatening demolition for reasons he described as unjustifiable.

After hearing the counsel for the applicants in the ex parte motion, Justice Kakaki directed the respondents to cease any demolition or threats of demolition against the applicants’ properties pending the hearing and final determination of the originating summons. The Court also granted leave to the applicants to serve the order of interim injunction, the originating summons, and all other processes on the respondents. The case was adjourned to 15 April 2026 for further hearing.

The applicants in the case include 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, Michael Anayo Onyejekwe, and Joseph Okpara.

Additional applicants include Mr. Mallami Ibrahim, Afesnsumem Desmond, Mrs. Inionbong Effiong Udoh, Sunday Daniel, Mrs. Umeh Victus, Emeka Ugoka, Emmanuel Obuseh, and forty others.