CITIZENS COMPASS— Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, on Saturday, said that the demolition exercises of Makoko and Oworonshoki embarked upon by the Lagos State Government, are threats to the rule of law.
The human rights lawyer disclosed this in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during the 2025 Annual General Conference of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).
The conference was themed “Advancing and Defending the Rule of Law in Nigeria: Stakeholders’ Tragedy and Way Forward.”
He was represented by Malachy Ugwumadu, a legal practitioner, who expressed concern over lack of freedom to protest, press freedom, and respect for court judgments.
According to him:The question is, do we have a full dose of the rule of law operational in our country? It’s a question. Can we boldly say that the rule of law operates in our country, even under civil dispensation, which they call democracy? Can we say so? If we can say so, for so many other countries, I’m sure what is happening in Oworonsoki in Lagos is a good example that the rule of law is not operational.
“Thousands of Nigerians are not just being displaced; their properties are razed down, even while many of them are in there with children, innocent children.
“The only offence is that they belong to the demographic of weak Nigerians, who are not as financially buoyant as those that live in Ikoyi and Ajah, as the case may be.
“Our country has become somewhat challenged. It has always been challenged, but it appears that the dimension this time around is to continue to weaken the poor in a way that widens the gap between the haves and the have-nots.
“So, I don’t know how we have easily walked back or sleep-walked into the era of military mentality in this country.”
Also speaking, the Vice President of CDHR, Yinka Folarin, said defending human rights has become more challenging for activists in Nigeria.
“You will agree with me that democracy should be premised on rule of law and the rule of law should be the cornerstone of any form of democracy.
“We have so much to do as far as respect for and promotion of human rights is concerned in Nigeria,” Folarin said.
