Many homeowners in , near the Command area of , are counting their losses after suspected landgrabbers, popularly known as Omo Onile, demolished several houses in the area.

Residents said the hoodlums invaded the community on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, demanding between ₦15m and ₦25m from property owners. Houses belonging to those who failed to pay were subsequently pulled down.

Findings revealed that no fewer than 50 structures—including residential buildings, shops, and perimeter fences—have been destroyed during the operation.

According to residents, about 300 thugs stormed the community, claiming they were acting on court documents from the authorising them to collect money for “house renewal,” with threats to demolish properties whose owners failed to comply.

One of the children of affected landlords, who identified himself simply as Oluwafewa, alleged that security operatives accompanied the thugs during the two-week operation, leaving many residents distressed.

“The thugs asked landlords to obtain a form that cost ₦100,000. Then they demanded an initial payment of ₦5m, with another ₦10m to be paid later. Different houses were charged different amounts. Some were asked to pay ₦25m, while they demanded ₦15m from my parents,” he said.

Oluwafewa added that the group claimed ownership of the estate, noting that the FHA had since denied authorising any demolition and asked them to desist.

During a visit to the community, policemen were seen parked along the street, while hoodlums sat openly in front of some demolished buildings.

A resident, who spoke anonymously, said a man was assaulted for filming the activities on the first day. “They beat him and almost destroyed his phone. They really terrorised us,” he said.

Another resident said the extortion had persisted for years, recalling that his uncle lost his house a decade ago after failing to meet similar demands.

Last week, affected residents staged a peaceful protest at the site, displaying placards and calling on Governor and other state leaders to intervene.

“They removed our roofs and damaged our buildings. We’ve reported to several offices, but no help has come. We don’t know what else to do,” one protester said.

An FHA official, who spoke anonymously, described the activities as illegal, stating that staff deployed to monitor the situation were chased away by the thugs. “They were impersonators. The FHA did not send anyone. We have written to the Commissioner of Police and the Lagos State Taskforce, but our officials were driven off the scene,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the , Abimbola Adebisi, said she was initially unaware of the incident when contacted, promising to investigate. Subsequent calls and messages were not returned.