Supreme Court Backs Lagos as State Defends Trade Fair Demolition of ‘Illegal’ Structures

The Lagos State Government has vehemently defended its recent large-scale demolition of over 19 plazas and buildings at the International Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, insisting the action is entirely legal, technically justified, and not driven by ethnic or political vendetta. The state government has anchored its position on the principle of law and order, citing the authority granted to it by state legislation and a landmark Supreme Court judgment.

Speaking on the enforcement exercise, Lagos State officials—including the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, and the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso—reiterated that the affected structures were erected without the mandatory permits from the state government.

The core of the government’s legal defence rests on the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Act (1992), as domesticated by Lagos State Law, and the 2003 Supreme Court judgment in Attorney-General of Lagos State v. Attorney-General of the Federation. This judgment affirmed that states retain the authority to regulate development control within their territories, including properties owned by the Federal Government, such as the Trade Fair Complex.

“The owners of the buildings have no approval. Their defence that the Management Board of the Trade Fair permitted them to build is wrong,” stated Commissioner Omotoso, clarifying that while the Federal Trade Fair Management Board can manage leases, it lacks the legal power to approve physical building developments. “All physical development in any part of Lagos must obtain a planning permit from the Lagos State Government,” he added.

The government also dismissed claims that the affected traders were not given notice. Officials stated that developers had been given over a year and a half, starting in November 2023, to comply and regularise their papers during a widely publicised amnesty programme that was extended multiple times. Furthermore, the government claimed its officials were locked up and physically attacked while attempting to serve notices at the complex, necessitating police intervention.

The demolition has drawn heavy criticism from political and cultural figures, notably the former Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, and Senator Victor Umeh, who described the demolition as unjust, economically destructive, and an illegal intrusion onto Federal land. However, the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, countered this, stating, “Here in Lagos, every of our actions are backed by the law, and we stand by it all.” The state maintains that the enforcement is non-discriminatory and is a necessary step to clear illegal encroachments, restore order, and ensure public safety in line with its urban planning goals.