No Governor Or Minister Can Demolish Houses Without Court Order — Falana.

Femi Falana.

Human rights advocate, Femi Falana, SAN, has faulted the spate of house demolitions in Abuja and Lagos, declaring that no governor or minister possesses the authority to demolish any property without first securing a court order.

Falana made this known on Friday while answering questions during an interview on Arise Television, where he described the demolitions as a blatant violation of the rule of law and an insult to the judiciary.

He stated that the demolitions, reportedly carried out at midnight despite subsisting court orders, were unconstitutional and unlawful.

“No governor or minister has the power to demolish a house in Nigeria without a valid court order.”

“Under our constitutional arrangement, you must go to court to prove that a building violates the law before demolition can be authorised,” he said.

Falana also explained that both Lagos and Abuja have Urban and Regional Planning laws that clearly define the demolition process, which includes issuing statutory notices and granting affected persons the right to appeal.