Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the ex-governorship candidate from the Labour Party in Lagos State, has leveled serious allegations against operatives enforcing a demolition exercise within the state, claiming they assaulted residents, unlawfully detained individuals, and destroyed evidence of these alleged abuses.
In a recent telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Rhodes-Vivour, who switched allegiance to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) last year, shared details of his visit to the affected area in Jakande Housing Estate, situated in Ilesan, Lagos State, where the demolitions took place on Wednesday.
According to him, security forces and suspected government agents violently assaulted residents during the operation, including an individual named Engineer Maro, who he claims was beaten into unconsciousness.
"During my visit on Wednesday, I came across Maro, who was assaulted to the point of being in a coma and is currently in custody," Rhodes-Vivour stated. "They are now insisting that we provide senior civil servants as guarantors for his bail."
He professed to have witnessed several assaults during this demolition operation, estimating that between 15 and 20 residents were attacked.
"I distinctly saw two or three persons being assaulted. Multiple individuals struck one man with sticks until he collapsed on the ground," he recounted.
Furthermore, Rhodes-Vivour alleged that operatives deliberately damaged the phones of residents attempting to capture footage of the event. He stated, "They forcibly took a man’s phone and destroyed it. This is something they excel at," adding that similar incidents had transpired during past demolition exercises in the state.
He accused the Lagos State Government of willfully ignoring court injunctions that prohibited the demolition activities.
“There was a court order in place to halt the demolitions, yet it has been completely disregarded. This government disregards the law while expecting citizens to comply with it,” he remarked.
Additionally, the former governorship candidate asserted that the motivations behind the demolitions are rooted in land grabbing and profit, rather than any public benefit, arguing that the compensation tendered to those affected is insufficient.
"Individuals are abruptly transformed from homeowners into homeless individuals, receiving compensation that wouldn't even cover rent in the same neighborhood. Conversely, the expropriated land will eventually be sold for hundreds of millions of naira," he stated.
He maintained that the land cleared is not intended for affordable housing but for upscale developments, noting that similar demolitions have already taken place in Makoko and other waterfront areas.
“These communities have existed since the 1800s. Longtime residents of Lagos are being forced out while profit takes precedence over their welfare,” he alleged.
Rhodes-Vivour urged Nigerian citizens and civil society groups to confront what he described as the increasing lawlessness exhibited by the Lagos State Government.
“This hostility towards residents and the appropriation of land must be documented, resisted, and opposed,” he asserted.
In an X post published on Thursday, Rhodes-Vivour detailed his visit to Jakande Housing Estate, highlighting that the operatives implementing the demolition disregarded a court injunction while assaulting residents.
He accused the government of exacerbating homelessness and the burgeoning cost-of-living crisis by demolishing public housing that was initially constructed for low-income families under the late former Governor Lateef Jakande.
In another X post made on Friday, he reiterated that the Lagos State Government continues to flout court orders and infringe upon property rights, referencing similar demolitions in Otodo-Gbame, Makoko, Oworo, and Jakande.
He cited Section 28 of the Land Use Act, which stipulates that land can only be acquired for overriding public interest and that owners should be justly compensated, arguing that the demolitions cater solely to private commercial interests.
Rhodes-Vivour has consistently criticized the Lagos State Government concerning demolition activities throughout the state, accusing authorities of prioritizing elite interests over the welfare of the lower-income populace.
In October 2025, he condemned demolitions executed in Oworonshoki, alleging that the government conducted the demolitions at midnight without allowing residents sufficient time to vacate.
"The government should not exist solely for the benefit of the wealthy within a state where over 75 percent of the population is impoverished," he expressed.
He further alleged that lands cleared during these actions are afterwards appropriated and sold for substantial profits, calling for transparency from the government and the establishment of dignified relocation schemes for displaced individuals.
Earlier in September 2024, Rhodes-Vivour appealed to the Lagos State Government to halt the demolition of waterfront communities, highlighting alleged demolitions in Okobaba and Ayetoro, warning that such actions would exacerbate poverty, homelessness, and insecurity within the state.
Criticizing the government’s approach to urban development as inhumane, he opined that demolishing informal settlements without providing viable alternatives constitutes a "systemic failure."
He mentioned demolitions in Okobaba, Ayetoro, Sogunro, and Iwaya waterfronts, accusing the administration of misrepresenting the legality of certain settlements, referencing historical commitments by the late Mr. Jakande regarding low-cost housing.
The Lagos State Government has not yet made any public statements or responses to the allegations reported as of the time of publication.
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