Businessman Cries Foul As ₦500m Mansion Demolished In FESTAC By FHA

A Lagos-based Civil Engineer, Mr. McDonald Ejiofor, is reeling from the demolition of his ₦500 million mansion in FESTAC Town on Saturday, October 11, 2025.

Ejiofor claims officials of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), accompanied by policemen from the Lagos State Taskforce and allegedly hired thugs, razed his property at 6th Avenue, FESTAC Town, leaving his family traumatised and his belongings buried under rubble.

The incident, which occurred at Plot 1892, Route 65, Caravan Estate, has sparked outrage among residents and traders who witnessed the ongoing demolition exercise that has left over 15 structures reduced to wreckage.

Ejiofor, 48, alleges he legally acquired the land in 2016 from the Kuje family, citing a Federal High Court judgment that purportedly granted ownership of the disputed area to the family.

“This is the total destruction of years of labour and dreams,” a distraught Ejiofor told journalists.

He explained that trouble began nine months ago after he moved into the property, with a lawyer claiming that the land had been allotted to him by the FHA.

According to him, the lawyer, identified as Barrister Ferdinand Obiora, allegedly vandalised his gate, arrested his workers, and pasted a demolition notice from FHA.

“The matter is before the Lagos State High Court after FHA appealed the initial Federal High Court judgment. The court directed that all parties should maintain the status quo until judgment is delivered. FHA should know they don’t have any right to demolish until the final judgment comes out,” Ejiofor stated.

He recounted the harrowing experience of the demolition: “Before I got home, they had brought down the fence and cut my building in two. I started begging them to give me time. Even my wife was inside when they began the demolition.

“People were shouting, telling them someone was inside, but they didn’t listen. My furniture, electronics, machines, documents, certificates, international passport, bed, and clothes were all buried under the debris.”

Ejiofor further alleged that he and his family were arrested and detained by over 30 policemen and forced to sign an undertaking not to return to the property.

Journalists witnessed the demolition exercise on Tuesday, with a Lagos State government-branded bulldozer pulling down structures.

Affected residents and traders expressed confusion and distress, claiming that many were given no prior warning.

A distressed trader lamented, “I have yet to find a new location for my business. They knocked it down like a pack of cards. If they had given notice, people would have removed their wares, but they didn’t.”

Mr. Paul Nwosu, a former Commissioner for Information in Anambra State and a resident of Festac Town, criticised the demolition as “unfair and lacking in human consideration.”

He questioned the justification of the demolition, pointing out that the buildings appeared to align with others and had visible setbacks from the main road.

In response, the Lagos State Taskforce vehemently denied allegations of unlawful arrests, claiming their officers were attacked with stones and dangerous objects while carrying out the FHA-led demolition.

They alleged that Ejiofor attempted to bribe the demolition team.

The Lagos State Government has distanced itself from the demolition, with the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, stating that the government had no hand in the exercise and follows a clear process, including issuing notices and engaging affected persons before any demolition.

“We want to assure residents that the Lagos State Government is committed to fairness, due process, and the protection of property rights. Any demolition done without proper authorisation does not represent the position of this administration,” he said.

Efforts to reach the FHA for comment proved unsuccessful. However, some of its concessionaires, speaking anonymously, claimed those affected by the demolition did not acquire their properties directly from the FHA and challenged them to produce their documents.

The demolition has further fuelled the long-standing land disputes in FESTAC Town, raising questions about due process and the rights of property owners.

The fate of Ejiofor and other affected residents remains uncertain as the legal battle over the land continues.