Former Lagos governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has claimed that officers of the Lagos State Task Force threatened to assault him during a recent demolition operation.
He made the allegation while speaking on Arise News, where he reacted to the Lagos State Government’s demolition of structures at Jakande Estate.
Rhodes-Vivour lamented that nearly 80 percent of Lagos residents live in poverty, attributing the crisis to exclusionary development policies that ignore the needs of the majority.
He criticized the demolition, describing it as illegal, anti-poor, and reflective of a development pattern that excludes vulnerable citizens.
According to him, his remarks stemmed from personal observations at the demolition site, where he alleged that task force officials displayed violence and disregarded proper procedures.
“I visited Ilasan and witnessed the brutality firsthand. Right before me, they beat a man into unconsciousness. The Lagos State task force threatened to beat me as well and began assaulting people around me without restraint,” he said.
Rhodes-Vivour further alleged that an engineer identified as Umaru was detained for three days and physically assaulted, adding that tear gas was also used during the confrontation.
“This is the kind of violence that has come to define this administration. When a government becomes lawless and ignores court orders, it becomes a very serious concern,” he stated.
Although the state government has promised compensation for affected residents, Rhodes-Vivour dismissed the proposed amount as unrealistic.
“They are talking about ₦11.2 million. ₦11.2 million cannot secure a two- or three-bedroom apartment in that area today,” he said.
He also accused the government of misinterpreting the Land Use Act to seize land for private interests rather than genuine public purposes.
“Section 28 of the Land Use Act allows land acquisition for overriding public interest, but instead we are seeing land taken and handed to private individuals who will only build more expensive housing,” he argued.
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