A Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has issued an injunction restraining the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LSBCA) from further demolishing residential houses in the 6th Avenue area of Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State. The court granted the order in response to a suit filed by Samuel Ahmed, Martinson Realtors Investment Limited, Taoheed Amusa, and R. Balogun, seeking an injunction against FHA and LSBCA.
The court order prohibits FHA, acting through its agents, privies, assigns, special task force, paramilitary officers, or any other entity, from demolishing or removing any building or property erected in 6th Avenue Festac Town or any other part of Festac Town in alleged enforcement of town planning laws. The injunction is effective pending the applicant’s compliance with the Lagos State High Court Practice Directions No. 2 of 2019 on Pre-action Protocol.
The claimants presented 10 grounds upon which they sought the order, citing the initiation of the suit under the order of the Supreme Court in Appeal No: 8C.931/2007 delivered on March 8, 2022. The affidavit supporting the motion highlighted the subject matter of the property situated in Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos State, describing the disregard for the court’s process by the defendant during the pendency of the suit.
The court order comes in the context of the demolition of over 600 houses and partial demolition of about 700 others on 6th Avenue in Festac Town by FHA and LSBCA. Youth leaders in the affected communities have called on the Lagos State government to compensate victims of the house demolitions and provide housing for those displaced. The leaders emphasize the need for compensation and housing support for those who have lived in the area for many years.
The court’s decision marks a legal intervention in the ongoing dispute over the demolition of houses and reflects concerns about due process and compensation for affected residents.
