Court halts further demolition of disputed Broad Street property after 48-hour quit notice

The Lagos State High Court has intervened to stop further demolition and construction at 168 Broad Street on Lagos Island, after a local government quit notice intensified a dispute over the property.

Justice Yetunde Adesanya granted a pre-emptive order after Dr. Abimbola Adebowale, described as the property’s alleged owner, claimed that part of the premises had already been demolished. She alleged that Taiwo Ige Yusuf then took possession and began preparing to develop the land.

The dispute followed an enforcement notice issued by Lagos Island Local Government. Dated August 6, 2026, and signed by Ojora A.O. for the council engineer, the notice ordered occupiers to leave within 48 hours and remove containers and other structures the council described as illegal. It warned that failure to comply could lead to enforcement action under applicable laws and regulations.

Adebowale further alleged that tenants were forcibly ejected without prior notice or her consent. According to an affidavit filed in support of the application, the structure was partly demolished in the middle of the night and the property was then barricaded with aluminium zinc, allegedly to prepare for complete demolition and construction.

Babatunde Bello, a staff member of United Capital Trustee Limited, said the company had managed the property since 2016 without disturbance until the alleged encroachment. He said Adebowale appointed the company as trustee of her properties through a deed of trust dated August 8, 2026. Adebowale’s lawyer, Waheed Isiaka of KISAB Solicitors & Attorneys, asked the court to preserve the property while the parties completed the required pre-action protocol.

The application relied on Orders 1 and 2 of Practice Direction No. 2 of 2019, which allow pre-emptive remedies where necessary to prevent irreparable damage or serious harm. The ruling excerpt supplied ends after the court’s intervention, and the underlying property dispute remains unresolved.