Residents of Ojileru, Ososa Extension, and Toluwalase Streets in Oworonsoki, Lagos, have cried out in pain and disbelief following the renewed demolition of properties in their community, allegedly carried out in the early hours of Sunday despite an existing court injunction restraining further demolition in the area.
According to eyewitnesses, bulldozers moved into the neighbourhood around midnight on Saturday and continued through the early hours of Sunday, pulling down more than seventy residential buildings, including structures previously spared during earlier demolitions. The operation reportedly left many families, including elderly people, pregnant women, and children, stranded without shelter.
The affected residents described the latest demolition as “a violation of the law and a betrayal of justice,” recalling that the Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja had issued an interim order on October 15, 2025, restraining further demolition of properties in the community pending compliance with pre-action protocols.
“Our homes were demolished in the middle of the night, without warning, despite the court injunction,” said a distraught landlord who identified himself simply as Mr. Adewale. “We have nowhere to go. People slept outside in the cold with their children. This is not just painful, it’s inhumane.”
For Mrs. Adenike, a heavily pregnant resident, the incident was traumatic. “They told us the court had stopped the demolition, so we stayed. But around 1 a.m., bulldozers came again. I had to run out barefoot with my children. We lost everything,” she recounted tearfully.
The residents, under the Itesiwaju Ajumoni Community Development Association (CDA), maintained that they had not received any compensation or participated in any enumeration process, contrary to claims reportedly made by some authorities. They reiterated their earlier joint statement, stressing that they were never consulted before the demolition exercise.
Community elders described the destruction as “unlawful and heart-wrenching,” calling on the Lagos State Government and relevant agencies to obey the subsisting court order and halt further demolition until the matter is resolved. “We are law-abiding citizens; all we ask is fairness and respect for due process,” said one of the affected elders.
Legal representatives of the community confirmed that the injunction, granted by Hon. Justice A.G. Balogun, remains valid, emphasizing that the demolition constitutes contempt of court. They said a formal petition would be filed in the coming days to address what they termed a “flagrant disregard for judicial authority.”
The disputed land, covering roughly 30 hectares, has been the subject of contention between residents and unnamed developers in recent months. The residents insist that their homes were built on family land handed down over generations and that no official notice of acquisition or compensation was ever served.
As the debris of the demolished houses filled the once-vibrant streets, many families could be seen salvaging what was left of their belongings. The community, now enveloped in grief and uncertainty, has appealed to the Lagos State Government, human rights bodies, and federal authorities to intervene urgently and restore hope to the displaced residents.
