A Civil Engineer, Mr. McDonald Ejiofor, has decried the demolition of his N500 million property by officials of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) at 6th Avenue, FESTAC Town, Lagos, on Saturday, October 11, 2025, describing it as the total destruction of years of labor and dreams.
Ejiofor, 48, alleged that FHA officials, policemen attached to the Lagos State Task Force and hired thugs stormed his residence at Plot 1892, Route 65, Caravan Estate, with bulldozers and began pulling down the structure while his family was still inside.
He stated that he legally acquired the land from the Kuje family in 2016, following a Federal High Court judgment which, according to him, granted ownership of the disputed area to the family.
According to him, trouble started after he moved into the property nine months ago, following claims by a lawyer (names withheld) that the portion was allotted to him by the FHA.
Explaining further, he said: “The same month we moved in, my painter called me that one Barrister Ferdinand Obiora came with some hoodlums, vandalized my gate, arrested my workers, and took them to the FESTAC Police Station. I received a call from the police that they needed my attention. I was told that a man claimed to be the main allottee of the land from FHA and wanted to see me. So, I consulted my lawyer, who went there and bailed the boys because I was not in Lagos then.
“One month after that, they came to my property again and pasted a demolition notice emanating from FHA. I snapped the notice and sent it to the lawyer representing the Kuje family on the case. The history is that when the Federal High Court gave judgment in favor of the family in 2016, FHA appealed. As we speak, the matter is before the Lagos State High Court. The court directed that all parties should maintain the status quo until judgment is delivered.
“FHA should know they don’t have any right to demolish until the final judgment comes out. So, it was based on that that I had peace. But I was surprised last Saturday morning when I went to play football. Around 8 a.m., I saw about 23 missed calls from my neighbors. When I returned one of the calls, they asked me to rush home, that FHA was at my property with a bulldozer to demolish my building.
“Before I got home, they had brought down the fence and cut my building into two. I started begging them to give me time. Even my wife was inside when they began the demolition. 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 following day, over 30 policemen in six Helix vans stormed the site as we tried to block water from entering the wreckage. 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 alleged.
During a visit to 6th Avenue on Tuesday, more than 15 structures had already been demolished, leaving affected residents and traders in confusion. The demolition exercise was still ongoing as bulldozers pulled down structures while traders displayed their goods beside the wreckage.
A Lagos State Government-branded bulldozer was seen at the site, while officials pointed out more buildings marked for demolition. A distressed trader told Vanguard that she had yet to find a new location for her business.
At a nearby cement depot, workers were seen salvaging leftover bags of cement as bulldozers advanced toward 9th Road. Some officials claimed the structures encroached on road setbacks, but affected residents insisted that most of the demolished buildings stood behind drainage channels with visible setbacks from the main road.
Residents Fault Exercise
They also accused the FHA of carrying out selective demolition, alleging that while some buildings were spared, others, mostly privately developed properties, were deliberately targeted.
A resident of FESTAC Town, Mr. Paul Nwosu, former Commissioner for Information in Anambra State, described the demolition as unfair and lacking in human consideration, noting that many traders were not issued prior warnings before the exercise.
He said: “I was passing here on Saturday when I saw them destroying the shops. I was told the reason was encroachment. But if you look closely, you’ll see the gutter and a clear setback. These buildings are in alignment with others. So how did they encroach on the road?
“I don’t have a shop here, but I sympathies with those who have spent so much to build these structures. You know how much cement, wood, and roofing cost. Then they come and knocked it down like a pack of cards. If they had given notice, people would have removed their wares, but they didn’t,” he added.
“These are investments. Even if they didn’t have permits, they could have been asked to regularize. Destroying people’s means of livelihood without notice is wicked. People would have removed their wares if they were informed. Now everything is gone,” he lamented.
Task Force Reacts
However, in a swift reaction, the Lagos State Taskforce dismissed as false the allegation that its officers unjustly arrested Ejiofor’s family members or residents during the demolition exercise conducted by the FHA.
In a viral video, a woman identified as Oneway had accused the Task Force of unlawfully detaining her husband and others during the operation. But the Agency clarified that those arrested were apprehended for attacking Task Force officials with stones and dangerous objects in an attempt to obstruct the lawful demolition of structures encroaching on FHA property. It alleged that the woman’s husband, who led the assault, had initially tried to bribe the demolition team to stop the exercise but turned violent when his offer was rejected.
Chairman of the Agency, CSP Adetayo Akerele, in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs, Mr. Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, condemned the attack and warned that preventing law enforcement officers from performing their duties is a criminal offence.
Also, the Lagos State Government denied involvement in the demolition. The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, stated emphatically that the state government had no hand in the exercise, noting that the government follows a clear process before pulling down any structure.
He explained that such processes include giving all necessary notices and engaging affected persons. The commissioner urged all agencies, including federal ones, to always consult and obtain clearance from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development before carrying out any demolition.
“We want to assure residents that the Lagos State Government is committed to fairness, due process, and the protection of property rights. Any demolition done without proper authorization does not represent the position of this administration,” he said.
Efforts to reach FHA proved abortive. However, some of its concessionaires, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that those whose properties were demolished did not acquire them from the FHA. They challenged the affected persons to display their documents. (Vanguard)
