Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Youth Rights Campaign has accused the Lagos State Police Command of deliberately disobeying a court order directing it to release equipment seized from protesters during the January 28, 2026, anti-demolition protest in Lagos, with the items now held for nearly seven months despite a magistrate's ruling for their immediate return. In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, and National Secretary, Francis Nwapa, the group condemned what it described as the "continued illegal seizure" of the protesters' property, including DJ equipment, a sound system, laptop computer, generator, First Aid box and other essential belongings. The items were confiscated during a peaceful protest against demolitions and forced evictions carried out by the Lagos State Government in Makoko, Oworonshoki, Owode-Onirin and other low-income communities across the state.
The Magistrate Court sitting in Yaba, presided over by Magistrate I.O. Alaka, had on Friday, May 8, 2026, ordered the release of the musical instruments and other items seized by the Lagos Police Command. The ruling followed an application filed by human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, on behalf of activist Hassan Taiwo Soweto and Mr. Dele Frank. During the court proceedings on Friday, April 24, 2026, Falana had argued that Section 6, subsections 3 and 5 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State provides that items seized from a suspect can be released on bond pending arraignment. The police prosecutor, Anthony Ihiehie, opposed the application, arguing that the items were part of police evidence and might be tampered with if released. However, Magistrate Alaka ruled in favour of the protesters, ordering the police to immediately return the seized property.
Despite the court's ruling, the police have continued to hold the property for more than three months after the order was issued. The Youth Rights Campaign alleged that the police had resorted to bureaucratic tactics to frustrate enforcement of the court order. According to the group, the police, despite being represented in court when the ruling was delivered, later demanded to verify the authenticity of a certified true copy of the order served on them by lawyers representing the protesters. The Chief Registrar of the court subsequently confirmed the authenticity of the order, but the police still failed to release the property. The group described the alleged refusal as "a clear case of contempt of court" and called on the Commissioner of Police Lagos State and the Deputy Commissioner of Police State CID Panti Yaba to "halt the continued disobedience of the court order and immediately release the items".
The protesters had initially reported that police officers forcefully seized a hired truck used during the peaceful protest on January 28, 2026, which contained key materials including two generators, three large sound speakers, other sound system gadgets, a table, a First Aid box, a laptop computer, and personal belongings. After 13 days in detention, the vehicle was released on February 10, 2026, on the directive of the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh. However, when the vehicle was returned, the DJ equipment and other seized items that had been inside the truck were missing. The protesters questioned how property seized during a police operation could allegedly disappear while under official custody. The group demanded that the Nigeria Police Force immediately produce and return the missing items, warning that if the items could not be produced, full compensation must be paid for both the value of the equipment and the number of days the DJ was prevented from working.
The Youth Rights Campaign specifically cited the case of the DJ whose equipment has allegedly remained in police custody for about seven months, preventing him from earning a living. "By their action, the police have deprived the DJ, for instance, of his livelihood for about 7 months and further subjected him and his family into a deeper hardship, despite not committing any crime," the group said. Human rights activist Francis Nwapa, in a statement issued after the court ruling on May 8, had described the court's decision as "a victory against police impunity, abuse of power, and the criminalization of peaceful protest". He recounted how the Nigeria Police Force violently disrupted the peaceful demonstration with the firing of live ammunition, teargas, intimidation, arrests, and unlawful confiscation of protesters' property. Nwapa further accused the then Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, of supervising the repression of peaceful demonstrators during the protest. He revealed that Soweto had instituted a suit against Jimoh, who has since been promoted to Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Lagos, at the Federal High Court in Lagos over alleged arrest and torture.
The January 28 protest was organised amid opposition to demolition exercises and alleged forced evictions affecting residents of several poor communities in Lagos. The Youth Rights Campaign noted that the demonstration was peaceful until police officers moved to disperse the protesters, firing teargas canisters at protesters and passersby, resulting in multiple injuries and hospitalisations. The group also alleged that one of the protest leaders, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, was brutalised during the crackdown. Soweto has been standing trial alongside Dele Frank since January 29 at the Magistrate Court in Yaba on charges the group described as frivolous. The next adjourned date in the case is August 31, 2026. The Youth Rights Campaign called on the Lagos Police Command to comply immediately with the court order and return all the seized belongings to their owners, urging the police authorities to respect the rule of law and the fundamental rights of citizens.
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