• Govt defends demolitions in Makoko, others
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the Lagos State Government to immediately halt what he described as illegal and unconstitutional demolitions of waterfront properties across the state, warning that the actions amount to executive lawlessness and contempt of court.
However, the state government described its recent demolitions in Makoko and other communities as efforts to protect lives and property.
Falana made the call in a statement, recalling a series of subsisting court judgments restraining the state from carrying out forced evictions and demolitions in waterfront communities such as Makoko, Oko-Agbon, Sogunro and Iwaya.
He noted that on June 22, 2017, a Lagos High Court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo (now retired) declared unlawful the government-ordered evictions that rendered over 30,000 residents homeless.
The court reportedly held that the evictions violated the fundamental rights of the affected residents and awarded N3.5 million as reparation in their favour.
According to Falana, the court further ordered a halt to future evictions, a decision he said could protect an estimated 270,000 other residents from losing their waterfront homes under the guise of urban renewal.
He said the court also directed the state government to engage affected communities in discussions on resettlement plans, having regard to its urban development policy.
The government said the intervention was also to ensure environmental safety and sustainable urban development across the state.
This is contained in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, after an engagement designed to foster dialogue between the government and residents yesterday in Lagos.
Omotoso described the demolitions in the affected settlements as necessary interventions aimed at preventing disasters, improving safety, and repositioning Lagos as a resilient and sustainable megacity for future generations.
Responding to criticisms describing the exercise as anti-poor, Omotoso said: “The actions were driven by safety, environmental protection and security concerns, particularly structures erected beneath high-tension power lines and along critical waterways”.
According to him, no responsible government will permit habitation under power cables or obstruction of waterways.
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