Press Release
Spaces for Change|S4C expresses deep concern about the unlawful demolitions in the Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State, which began on September 25, 2025, affecting a series of plazas, malls, shops, and other business premises. We demand justice for the unconstitutional destruction of several business premises in the Complex.
The demolitions selectively targeted a series of
buildings under the directive of the Lagos State Government, under the guise of
“(removing) illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals,
defective structures, and structures built on road setback and drainage”.
However, our team visited the demolition site yesterday, and findings reveal key facts that not only contradict the Lagos State Government’s position but also highlight grave injustices and economic sabotage.
The team met with several victims of the
demolitions, the Executive Director/CEO of the Lagos International Trade Fair
Complex Management Board and the management team of the Complex, the president
of the traders’ association, and other key stakeholders, who shared their
versions of the incident.
The management and administration of the Trade Fair
Complex is established by the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex
Management Board Act of 1993. The Act empowers the Lagos International Trade
Fair Complex Management Board to administer the buildings and regulate the
erection of new structures in the Complex.
The Board grants leases to investors and business owners to erect structures within the Complex, which was corroborated by several victims’ accounts.
Victims further alleged that they have building
approvals issued by the Board through the Federal Ministry of Works and
Housing. This directly contradicts the claims of the Lagos State Government
about the status of the approval for these buildings, which are directly under
the administration of the Federal Government.
In addition, the demolitions were carried out
without prior notices to either the Board or the business owners, nor prior
consultation with key stakeholders. Those protesting the demolitions by
security agencies and non-state actors mobilized by the state were physically
abused.
Collectively, these acts have thrown victims into a
state of despair, with some of them currently hospitalised as they are in
severe shock and health distress following the demolitions. This situation is
clearly unacceptable.
By stripping victims of their rights to immovable
property and subjecting them to economic hardship, the recent demolitions constitute
brazen acts of injustice. The demolitions also demonstrate the insensitivity of
the Lagos State Government to the current economic situation in the country,
while sending a message of hostility to potential business investments in Lagos
State.
We therefore call on the Lagos State Government to
retract its steps and offer the necessary compensation to these victims.
Inter-agency collaboration between the State Government and the Board is highly
encouraged to prohibit the occurrence of this brazen act of injustice.
In conclusion, justice must not be delayed,
negotiated, or denied in this case; it must be delivered with urgency and
without compromise. Those responsible for this unconstitutional act must be
held accountable, not with half-measures or empty promises, but through
decisive action that restores confidence in the rule of law. Anything less is a
betrayal of the people’s trust and an affront to humanity itself.
Victoria Ibezim Ohaeri Executive Director
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