Uzoma Mba
A Lagos-based civil engineer, Mr. McDonald Ejiofor, is counting his losses after officials of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), backed by policemen and operatives of the Lagos State Taskforce, demolished his ₦500 million home at 6th Avenue, FESTAC Town, Lagos, on Saturday, October 11, 2025.
Ejiofor, 48, who described the action as “the total destruction of years of labour and dreams,” said the demolition occurred while his wife was still inside the building.
According to him, officials arrived at his residence at Plot 1892, Route 65, Caravan Estate, in the early hours of the day with bulldozers and a team of armed personnel, despite a subsisting court order maintaining status quo on ownership of the land.
“Before I got home, they had brought down the fence and cut my building into two. Even my wife was inside when they began the demolition,” Ejiofor told Vanguard. “People were shouting, telling them someone was inside, but they didn’t listen. My furniture, electronics, machines, documents, certificates, international passport, bed, and clothes were all buried under the debris.”
The engineer explained that he legally purchased the land from the Kuje family in 2016 after a Federal High Court ruling granted ownership of the area to the family. The FHA, he said, later appealed the judgment, which is still pending before the Lagos State High Court.
“The court directed that all parties should maintain the status quo until judgment is delivered,” Ejiofor said. “FHA should know they don’t have any right to demolish until the final judgment comes out.”
He recounted that the problem began nine months ago, when he moved into the house and a lawyer, allegedly claiming ownership through FHA allocation, began making threats.
“One month after we moved in, they came and pasted a demolition notice. I sent it to the lawyer representing the Kuje family. But I had peace knowing the court order was still valid — until last Saturday when bulldozers arrived.”
Ejiofor further alleged that the following day, armed policemen arrested him and his family while they tried to salvage what remained of their property.
“Over 30 policemen in six Helix vans stormed the site. They beat me, my wife, and my brother, threw us into a Black Maria, and took us to the Taskforce cell at Oshodi. They forced me to sign an undertaking not to return to the property,” he said.
When Vanguard visited the scene, over 15 structures had already been pulled down, leaving residents and traders in shock. A Lagos State government-branded bulldozer was seen at the site, as FHA officials pointed to more buildings marked for demolition.
Nearby, traders displayed their goods beside piles of debris while workers at a cement depot tried to salvage remaining bags before the next bulldozer moved in.
Some officials claimed the exercise targeted structures built on road setbacks, but residents disagreed, insisting the buildings were properly aligned behind existing drainages.
“If you look closely, you’ll see the gutter and a clear setback,” said Mr. Paul Nwosu, a resident and former Commissioner for Information in Anambra State. “These buildings are in alignment with others. So how did they encroach on the road?”
Nwosu faulted the exercise for lacking fairness and humanity.
“These are investments. Even if they didn’t have permits, they could have been asked to regularise. Destroying people’s means of livelihood without notice is wicked,” he lamented. “People would have removed their wares if they were informed. Now everything is gone.”
The Lagos State Taskforce has, however, denied claims that its officers assaulted Ejiofor’s family or other residents during the operation.
In a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, on behalf of the Chairman, CSP Adetayo Akerele, the agency said those arrested were apprehended for allegedly attacking government officials with stones and dangerous objects while attempting to obstruct the demolition.
The Taskforce alleged that one of the arrested individuals, said to be the woman’s husband in a viral video, had first attempted to bribe officials to halt the operation but turned violent when his offer was rejected.
“Preventing law enforcement officers from performing their duties is a criminal offence,” Akerele warned.
The Lagos State Government also denied any involvement in the operation. Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, clarified that the state was not part of the demolition exercise.
“The Lagos State Government follows due process before pulling down any structure,” Olumide stated. “Any demolition done without proper authorisation does not represent the position of this administration.”
He advised all agencies, including federal ones, to obtain clearance from the Ministry before embarking on any demolition exercise.
Efforts to reach the FHA for comments were unsuccessful. However, some of its concessionaires, who spoke anonymously, insisted that most of the demolished buildings were erected on land not legally acquired from the agency.
They challenged affected property owners to produce proof of ownership and valid allocation papers.
Meanwhile, affected residents have vowed to pursue legal redress, accusing the FHA of defying court orders and unleashing economic hardship on law-abiding citizens.
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