Lagos court halts demolition and construction on disputed Broad Street property
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A Lagos State High Court has barred further demolition and construction on a disputed property at 168 Broad Street, Lagos Island, after a council quit notice triggered a possession battle.
The Lagos State High Court has halted further demolition and construction on a disputed property at 168 Broad Street, Lagos Island, following a 48-hour quit notice issued by the Lagos Island Local Government, ThisDay reports.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya granted the pre-emptive order after the property's alleged owner, Dr Abimbola Adebowale, claimed the premises were partly demolished and subsequently taken over by Taiwo Ige Yusuf, who allegedly began preparations to develop the land.
The dispute stems from an enforcement notice dated August 6, 2026 and signed by Ojora A.O. for the Council Engineer, which directed occupiers to vacate the property and remove containers and other structures the council described as illegal, warning of enforcement action within 48 hours.
In an 11-paragraph affidavit, Babatunde Bello, a staff member of United Capital Trustee Limited, said the company had managed the property since 2016 without disturbance until the alleged recent encroachment. Bello stated that Adebowale appointed the company as trustee of her properties through a Deed of Trust dated August 8, 2026, and that on August 19, 2026 the defendants allegedly ejected tenants without notice and partly demolished the structure at night before barricading the premises with aluminium zinc.
The applicant, through her counsel Waheed Isiaka of KISAB Solicitors and Attorneys, urged the court to preserve the property pending completion of the pre-action protocol, relying on Orders 1 and 2 of Practice Direction No. 2 of 2019. Justice Adesanya held that the applicant had satisfied the conditions for a pre-emptive remedy and restrained Yusuf, the unidentified defendants and their agents from completely demolishing, dissipating, excavating or constructing on the property.
The judge made clear the protective order is temporary and conditional, directing the applicant to comply fully with the pre-action protocol within the timelines set out in the High Court of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules 2019 and Practice Direction No. 2 of 2019, warning that the order would lapse on failure to do so.