Falana Cites Supreme Court Ruling, Says Lagos Demolition Of Waterfront Properties Is “Illegal”
Falana Urges Lagos Government to Halt ‘Illegal’ Waterfront Demolitions
January 25, 2026
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Lagos State Government to immediately stop what he described as illegal and unconstitutional demolitions of waterfront properties across the state, citing multiple subsisting court judgments restraining such actions.
In a statement titled “Lagos State Government Must Halt Illegal Demolition of Waterfront Properties,” Falana recalled that on June 22, 2017, the Lagos High Court declared unlawful a series of government-ordered evictions that left over 30,000 residents homeless.
Delivering judgment, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (retd.) held that the evictions violated the fundamental rights of the affected residents and awarded ₦3.5 million in damages in their favour. The court also ordered an end to future evictions, a decision Falana said was capable of protecting an estimated 270,000 waterfront residents from displacement.
Justice Onigbanjo further directed the Lagos State Government to engage affected communities on resettlement plans in line with the state’s urban renewal policy.
Falana also referenced a more recent ruling delivered on August 25, 2025, by Justice F.N. Ogazi of the Federal High Court, Lagos, which restrained the Lagos State Government, its agencies, and the Nigeria Police Force from carrying out further demolitions or evictions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon, Sogunro, and Iwaya waterfront communities.
According to Falana, the order was granted to shield residents from what the court described as “continuous threat and fear of imminent demolition,” following prolonged disputes over alleged forceful land acquisition without compensation or resettlement.
Despite these court orders, Falana accused the Lagos State Government of persisting with demolitions in what he described as “a brazen display of executive impunity.”
He stated that the government had continued to demolish waterfront properties, including schools and medical facilities, adding that the exercise had resulted in loss of lives and the displacement of thousands of residents.
Falana further argued that the demolitions violate a Supreme Court judgment delivered on January 7, 2024, in the dispute between the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and the Lagos State Government.
According to him, the apex court affirmed that existing laws grant exclusive control of inland waterways to the Federal Government through NIWA.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Supreme Court clarified that the National Inland Waterways Authority is the only lawful agency empowered to exclusively manage, direct and control all activities on navigable inland waters and their rights of way across the country,” Falana said, citing Sections 8 and 9 of the NIWA Act.
He maintained that, since inland waterways fall under federal jurisdiction, demolitions carried out by the Lagos State Government in waterfront communities are “illegal, unconstitutional, and contemptuous,” describing them as a direct affront to the authority of the judiciary.
In urging compliance with court rulings, Falana reminded Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the Supreme Court’s decision in Military Governor of Lagos State v. Chief Emeka Ojukwu, where even a military administration complied with a court order by restoring possession of disputed property.
According to Falana, the precedent underscores that lawful governance requires strict obedience to valid court orders and the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights.