‘People are dying’: Retiree collapses in court amid Lagos demolition dispute

By Esther Onyegbula
The human cost of the prolonged demolition dispute involving residents of Okokomaiko, Church Estate 1, Church Estate 2, Igbenyadu Community and Jubilee Estate came into sharp focus when an elderly retiree collapsed in the courtroom during proceedings before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
The retiree, identified as one of the affected homeowners, reportedly slumped in the full view of the presiding judge on September 24, 2026, leaving lawyers, litigants and others in the courtroom scrambling to save his life. The incident occurred amid a legal battle over alleged demolition and acquisition of properties in the affected communities, with homeowners insisting that the...