Residents of Jakande Estate, Ilesan, in Lagos, on Tuesday staged a protest against an alleged planned demolition of their homes.
The residents urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently intervene and halt further actions pending the determination of a court case.
Speaking during the protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly, the leader of the residents, Alhaji Abdulhameed Shuaib, accused some individuals he described as “so-called landlord leaders” of attempting to evict residents from the estate under the guise of government action.
Shuaib said that the dispute began last year when residents were informed that they would be ejected from the estate and offered compensation.
According to him, the initial offer of ₦6 million per three-bedroom flat was rejected as grossly inadequate, noting that the flats were originally allocated by the government and duly signed by a former governor.
“How can a three-bedroom flat be valued at ₦6 million when similar government-built houses were going for about ₦15 million at the time?” he asked.
He said subsequent offers of ₦7 million and later ₦11 million were also rejected, especially as residents were allegedly asked to submit original property documents with a promise of payment three months later.
“We refused because it is risky. Once demolition starts, nobody can stop the caterpillar,” Shuaib said.
According to him, while residents were still arranging legal representation, about 50 buildings in the estate were demolished in March last year.
He said the residents later obtained a court injunction restraining further demolition.
Despite the injunction, Shuaib alleged that threats continued, with warnings that anyone who failed to accept the offer before demolition would lose all entitlements.
He added that the court has since extended the injunction until February 4, 2026.
The residents further alleged that some tenants were recently offered ₦50,000 to vacate their homes, while heavy machinery was again sighted entering the estate.
Shuaib also claimed that two residents were arrested after confronting the demolition team with court papers and letters from the Ministry of Physical Planning, and are currently being held at a police facility in Oshodi.
He expressed concern that Lagos State Government officials, including the governor and the attorney-general, neither appeared in court nor sent representatives, despite being listed as parties in the suit.
The protesters appealed to Governor Sanwo-Olu to stop any demolition activities, respect the court injunction, and ensure a fair and transparent resolution of the matter.
“Our request is simple,” Shuaib