Residents of Festac Town in Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State are preparing to protest at the headquarters of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) following allegations that officials of the agency demolished a significant portion of the estate’s perimeter fence and removed its gateway.
The planned action is being organised under the aegis of Bring Back Festac, a residents’ group that has raised concerns over what it described as developments capable of affecting public infrastructure and the interests of the wider Festac community.
According to the group, the portion of the fence affected by the alleged demolition forms part of a public reserve within the estate. Residents said the area accommodates electricity and power infrastructure serving Festac Town as well as neighbouring communities, making the alleged removal of the structure a matter of wider concern beyond the immediate location.
The controversy reportedly began after individuals identified by residents as FHA officials arrived at the area accompanied by armed police personnel. The officials were alleged to have pulled down a substantial section of the existing perimeter fence and removed the estate’s gateway during the operation.
Residents said the scale of the alleged demolition heightened concerns within the community, with some claiming that other installations, including lighting facilities, were also affected. One resident who spoke about the incident alleged that the operation involved several buses carrying armed police officers and FHA personnel.
The resident claimed that more than 80 per cent of the wall in the affected area had been removed, while stressing that the fence was not a recently constructed structure. According to him, the perimeter wall had existed before the latest intervention and was part of the established infrastructure within the estate.
The development has also opened a broader dispute over the alleged use and management of spaces regarded by residents as public utility areas. Bring Back Festac alleged that there have been concerns involving unlawful extortion, the alleged sale of public utility spaces and approvals for developments that residents believe could have consequences for the community.
The group’s president, Valentine Uduebo, urged residents and other stakeholders not to resort to violence or disorder as the dispute continues. He said Bring Back Festac would announce a date for a peaceful demonstration at the FHA headquarters to formally draw the authority’s attention to the concerns raised by residents.
Uduebo accused the FHA of acting improperly over the disputed location and alleged that the portion of land around the 3rd Avenue B Close roundabout had been sold. He called on residents to remain calm while preparing for the proposed protest.
“It is alarming to see the FHA act in such a mannerless way. I can assure you that they have sold that portion of land at 3rd Avenue B Close roundabout,” Uduebo said, while urging residents to remain peaceful and law-abiding.
He added that the group would determine and announce a suitable date for residents to converge at the FHA headquarters.
The allegations have generated anxiety among some residents who said the disputed area should not be treated simply as an ordinary parcel of land because of the infrastructure located within or around it. They argued that any alteration to the space should take into account its role in supporting electricity and other facilities serving the estate.
A resident who witnessed the alleged operation described the presence of the security personnel as significant, saying he saw three buses filled with armed policemen alongside the officials identified as FHA personnel.
“They came here in numbers. I saw three buses, all filled with policemen, armed. They have the FHA officials in them,” the resident said.
He further alleged that the demolition affected a large section of the wall and expressed concern about the implications for the estate.
The resident also rejected any suggestion that the fence had been recently erected by residents, insisting that the structure was already in existence before the latest incident.
“There was a fence here before. This one that is being removed, we didn’t just put it. It was an existing fence here before,” he said.
According to him, residents had previously held meetings and discussions over issues affecting the community but believed that stronger action was now necessary to bring the matter before the relevant authorities.
The dispute comes amid wider concerns raised by Bring Back Festac regarding the management of land and public utility spaces within Festac Town. The group alleged that residents had faced instances of unlawful extortion and questioned the circumstances surrounding the alleged disposal of spaces that residents consider important to public infrastructure.
The residents also raised concerns over development approvals, suggesting that decisions concerning land use within the estate should take into account the established needs of the community and the infrastructure serving residents.
For Bring Back Festac, the proposed demonstration is intended to provide a platform for residents to demand clarification and government attention rather than to create confrontation. The group has therefore appealed to participants to maintain order and ensure that the protest remains peaceful.
The residents’ decision to approach the FHA headquarters reflects their desire to have the authority respond directly to the allegations surrounding the disputed portion of Festac Town. They are also seeking attention from other relevant authorities over issues they believe could affect the estate’s public spaces and infrastructure.
At the centre of the dispute is the status and future use of the affected area. While residents insist that the demolished structure was an existing part of Festac’s perimeter infrastructure and that the space serves public utility purposes, they have raised allegations concerning the possible disposal and development of the land.
The allegations made by residents and Bring Back Festac have not, in the material supplied for this report, been accompanied by a response from the Federal Housing Authority. The claims concerning the alleged sale of the land, unlawful extortion and development approvals therefore remain allegations pending responses or findings from the relevant authorities.
Residents, meanwhile, say they intend to continue pressing for answers through lawful channels. The planned protest is expected to focus on the alleged demolition, the status of the affected land and public utility infrastructure, as well as the broader concerns raised over land management within Festac Town.
Bring Back Festac has reiterated that the proposed demonstration will be peaceful, while urging residents to remain calm and law-abiding as they await the announcement of the protest date.
The controversy has consequently placed renewed attention on the balance between development decisions and the preservation of existing community infrastructure in Festac Town, with residents insisting that decisions affecting established public spaces should be properly explained and addressed with the interests of the community in mind.
Festac Residents Mobilise Against Alleged FHA Demolition, Plan Protest in Lagos
