By: Manoah Kikekon
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| LAMATA and Court used to illustrate the story |
LAGOS, NIGERIA – The Federal High Court in Lagos has delivered a landmark ruling, granting an interim injunction to stop the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) from demolishing residential properties in the Okokomaiko area.
The court order provides a massive sigh of relief for hundreds of families whose homes were slated for destruction to make way for the proposed Blue Line Train Depot.
Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice Musa Kakaki**, issued the order on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, in response to Suit No: FHC/L/MISC/52/2026.
The injunction effectively freezes all demolition, eviction, and acquisition activities by the state government and its agencies pending the final determination of the originating summons.
The court order specifically protects residents and properties located at Church Estate 1, Church Estate 2, Jubilee Estate, and the Igbeyin-Adun Community in the Ojo Local Government Area. The injunction restrains LAMATA, its agents, and officials from "invading, demolishing, pillaging, or vandalizing" the applicants' houses.
Beyond stopping the bulldozers, the court also granted an order of interim injunction restraining the respondents from any compulsory acquisition or taking possession of any interest in the applicants' lands and immovable properties. This move safeguards the residents' proprietary rights while the legal battle continues.
Justice Kakaki extended the injunction to the Lagos State Commissioner of Police and all police officers attached to various formations. The court strictly forbade the police from "partaking, supervising, or providing any support or protection" to LAMATA officials for the purpose of eviction or demolition in the affected communities.
The enrollment of the court order, signed by Mrs. Okoro, Principal Executive Officer of the Federal High Court Ikoyi, ensures that law enforcement cannot be used as a tool to bypass the judicial process. This directive aims to prevent the often-forceful nature of state-led evictions in Lagos.
Despite the court’s intervention, a fresh wave of controversy has erupted following a publication on LAMATA’s official website on March 12, 2026. The agency announced it had commenced payment of "relocation assistance" to tenants affected by the acquisition. LAMATA officials Mrs. Ibironke Omorhirhi and Mr. Ayodipupo Quadri are reportedly monitoring the exercise to ensure transparency.
However, property owners have raised an alarm over this strategy. Landlords in the four affected estates argue that LAMATA is "compensating" tenants without the consent of the actual property owners. They contend that focusing on tenants is a tactical move to weaken the community’s collective resistance while the landlords’ grievances remain unaddressed.
The core of the dispute lies in the valuation of the properties. Property owners allege that their homes have not been given a realistic "like-for-like" valuation that would allow them to replicate their houses in comparable areas of Lagos.
"We have not been shown what values have been assigned as possible compensation," one resident stated. "How can LAMATA initiate payments when we don't even know if the projected sum is adequate? Why the rush for arbitrary demolition when the current designated train depot area still lies fallow and undeveloped?"
The applicants were represented by Femi Dodo, Esq., who moved the motion ex-parte on behalf of the residents. The lead affidavit was sworn to by Mr. Iniobong Edem Offiong, a retiree and resident of Igbehin Adun Community, who highlighted the extreme urgency of the situation.
The court has granted leave for the applicants to serve the injunction and originating summons on LAMATA at its Ketu-Ojota office and on the Commissioner of Police at the Command Headquarters in Ikeja. As the legal tug-of-war intensifies, the residents of Okokomaiko remain vigilant, holding onto the court's protection as their last line of defense against homelessness.