The Otodo Gbame community in Nigeria’s financial capital, Lagos, celebrated a court ruling on Wednesday that said government demolitions of their homes were illegal.

Residents went to court in October 2016 to protest the Lagos state government’s plan to demolish their waterfront communities on the pretext of cutting crime in the megacity.

The government went ahead with the demolitions in a series of raids across the city that saw security agents bulldoze homes to the ground and in April shoot people with live ammunition.

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Judge Adeniyi Onigbanjo, sitting at the Lagos State High Court, on Wednesday ruled that the demolitions were unconstitutional and violated the residents’ rights.

He ordered the state government to hold consultations with the communities before any further evictions and provide compensation for the destruction of their property.

“We are mostly relieved, finally we have a decision,” the residents’ lawyer Omotayo Enujiugha told AFP outside court, where over 100 community members had gathered for the verdict.

“We really appreciate the fact that at the end of the day the judge ruled that rights were violated,” he added.

The case has cast a spotlight on how Nigeria is wrestling with rapid urbanisation and population growth in its major cities such as Lagos, which is home to 20 million people.

It is also being seen as a test of Nigeria’s graft-plagued judiciary, which has a reputation for siding with the wealthy and famous.

The residents have been given legal support from the non-profit group Justice and Empowerment Initiatives.

Its co-director Megan Chapman said: “It (the court) found that any demolition or eviction without adequate notice and provision of adequate shelter or resettlement to another location is unconstitutional.

“They ordered that the government must enter into consultation with the residents if they intend on carrying out any further evictions.

“The court gave a clear court order that no further evictions are allowed until that consultation process continues.”

While the residents acknowledged the Lagos government may still try to go ahead with demolitions in the future, they said they were relieved the court had ruled in their favour.

“I’m very grateful. The fear of our people was that the whole community would be torn down,” said Oladipupo Aireomiye, a 38-year-old living in Ebute Ilaje, a community that was handed its eviction notice earlier this year.

“The judgment gives us hope. At least, for now, we can sleep with our eyes closed.”

otijah:
This still shows that God watches of the poor

sapientia:
I do not know the procedures they used to demolish the house but the Court has ruled that it was illegal...

Now I ask, why does it seem that the only time polithiefians respect the masses is during election period?

madbuhari:
they should go back to their villages Lagos is congested, ijebu is there for them, ogbomosho and ashogbo is also there for them... Lagos is it the only state in yellowbar land abeg government should go ahead and demolish every illegal structure... the developers from east are eagerly waiting to partner with Lagos government in developing that area

bakynes:

See this one, na only you no know say Otodo Game Residents are Ijaw people.

sunnysunny69:
They should settle with state government or accept a relocation because the state will appeal that ruling and the case will go on for years .

madbuhari:
they look Yoruba to me

bakynes:

Well they are Ijaw and not Yoruba

sunnysunny69:
They should settle with state government if any offer is on the table or accept relocation because the state will appeal that ruling, if LSG had won those people will appeal too. This one case will go on for years .