Lagos: Makoko demolitions illegal, says Falana

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has said that going to any waterfront to demolish or displace people is completely illegal.

Falana made this statement on Sunday while responding to questions in an interview on Arise Television.

He said that People are entitled to the right to housing and dignity, stressing that if the government intends to carry out demolitions, it must engage the affected residents and provide alternative accommodation.

According to the senior lawyer, there was no basis for tear-gassing peaceful protesters.

“Incidentally, I’ve been involved in the demolition of houses in Lagos for the past 35 years.

“To top it up, the Supreme Court gave a decision two years ago, that state governments have no control over inland waterways in the country. So, going to any waterfront to demolish or displaced people is completely illegal.

“This is the problem. Now we are not opposed to development. What we are seeing is that the Lagos state government, and by the way, section 17 of the Commission provides that all actions of the government shall be humane.

“So you can’t go to a community in the dead of the night, tear gas them, wake them up and confuse them. And when they are running out helter skelter, you begin to demolish their properties. It’s not part of our law.

“Secondly, our people are entitled to right to dignity. Our people are entitled to right to house.

“If the government wants to demolish, no problem, but you must discuss and place them in some other places,” he said.