Residents of Ifesowapo, Ifeoluwa and Toluwani communities in Ebute-Metta West, Lagos Mainland, have demanded N1 billion in compensation over the demolition of their homes and alleged forced eviction in March 2024.
Gatekeepers News reports that the affected communities petitioned the Lagos State Physical Planning and Building Control Appeals Committee, accusing officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), allegedly backed by police personnel, of unlawfully demolishing and burning their properties.
The residents said the demolition destroyed homes, displaced families and left many struggling to rebuild their lives.
Their petition was presented at the opening of a hearing before the committee in Alausa, Lagos, where they are seeking compensation and other reliefs over the alleged destruction of their homes and properties.
The Communities Alliance Against Displacement (CAD), in collaboration with Spaces for Change (S4C), is supporting the residents in the legal process.
Among other demands, the communities want the committee to direct the Lagos State Government to pay N1 billion in compensation to the affected residents and ensure compliance with the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, 2010, in the remaining portions of the designated improvement areas.
Documents submitted with the petition include a sworn affidavit of facts, a Community Development Association registration certificate, rent payment receipts issued to the Oloto Royal Family, media reports on the declaration of Otto and Otumara communities as improvement areas, and photographs documenting the demolition and alleged burning of houses.
Residents say demolition violated regeneration plan
The residents said their opposition to the demolition was partly based on an earlier government plan to regenerate the communities rather than completely displace their residents.
In May 2021, the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development announced approval for the regeneration of Otto and Otumara slum communities in Lagos Mainland into a new micro-city with improved urban infrastructure and aesthetics.
The government had described the plan as one aimed at “upgrading rather than total displacement.”
According to the residents, the announcement eased concerns about possible forced eviction, as they expected the government to follow the relevant legal procedures and engage the affected communities before commencing any development.
They alleged, however, that the situation changed in March 2024 when LASBCA officials, accompanied by police personnel and armed with motorised hydraulic equipment, entered the communities and ordered residents to vacate their homes.
The residents further alleged that several houses were subsequently demolished and some set ablaze, leaving families with little time to salvage their belongings.
Speaking with The Guardian at the opening of the appeal hearing, Patrick Allam, Legal Officer at Spaces for Change, said the government was required to comply with the provisions of the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law before carrying out the demolition.
According to Allam, the May 7, 2021 declaration by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development meant that the regeneration of the communities should have been undertaken within the legal framework governing improvement areas.
He argued that failure to comply with the required procedures rendered the demolition unlawful and denied residents the protections provided under the law.
Allam specifically cited Section 53 of the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, 2010, alleging that the government failed to publish the approved regeneration plan in the state gazette designating Otto and Otumara as an “Improvement Area.”
He said such publication would have formally informed residents and the wider public of the government’s plans and provided an opportunity for community engagement.
“The government is supposed to engage the community on how best they can implement that plan,” he said.
The affected residents said the consequences of the demolition extended beyond the loss of their homes.
Awode David, Secretary of Ifesowapo Community, said many residents had been living in difficult conditions since their eviction, with some forced to sleep in tents.
He also said some children had been unable to continue their education, while more than five residents had reportedly died since the displacement.
David said the residents were not seeking preferential treatment but justice and accountability from the state government.
Hearing adjourned
At the hearing, Allam expressed concern over the absence of some major respondents, saying their non-appearance limited the issues that could be addressed during the opening session.
He identified LASBCA, the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and the Oloto Royal Family as parties that should participate in the proceedings.
Allam said LASURA had informed the committee that it was unaware of the demolition.
He, however, maintained that the agency should appear before the committee to explain its position rather than rely solely on a letter.
The 14-member appeal committee, chaired by Olufunmilayo Osifuye and comprising professionals from the building, physical planning and legal sectors, adjourned the matter to October 14.
The adjournment followed the absence of some of the major respondents in the case.
