A Yaba Magistrate Court in Lagos has ordered the release on bail of Taiwo Hassan, widely known as Soweto, and Dele Frank, who were taken into custody during a protest against demolition operations in several low-income communities in the state.
Gatekeepers News reports that the pair were arraigned by the Lagos State Police Command on five separate counts, including conduct likely to cause a breach of peace, unlawful assembly, threats to the public, obstruction of traffic, and chanting songs described by the police as abusive toward law enforcement and the Lagos State Government. They both pleaded not guilty to all charges.
At the hearing, the police prosecutor urged that bail be granted with strict conditions to reflect the seriousness of the case. But the magistrate agreed to release the activists on ₦200,000 bail each, with two responsible sureties in the same amount. The matter was set for mention on March 3, 2026.
During the protest on January 28, demonstrators from communities such as Makoko, Oworonshoki, Owode-Onirin, Otumara, and Baba-Ijora marched toward the Lagos State House of Assembly to oppose demolition and forced evictions. Police officers reportedly deployed tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd when protesters attempted to enter the assembly area.
After his release, Soweto took to social media to accuse some officers and the Lagos Police Commissioner of brutal treatment during his arrest, a claim that has drawn criticism from human rights observers and several civil society groups.
While the police have denied that any protesters were seriously injured after deploying tear gas, video and eyewitness accounts suggest tensions were high and some demonstrators were affected by the dispersal methods.
