Justice Friday Ogazi of the Federal High Court in Lagos has granted an ex parte application filed by activist and National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign, Hassan Taiwo, popularly known as Soweto.
The application seeks permission to serve court documents to Assistant Inspector-General of Police Olohundare Jimoh using alternative means.
The application was moved on Tuesday by Lilian Ogbebor, who held brief for counsel to the applicant, Joseph Opute.
The court ordered that the originating processes be served on AIG Jimoh through the Police Legal Unit.
Following the grant of the application, Justice Ogazi adjourned the matter until October 28, 2026, for further proceedings.
The suit, marked FHC/L/CS/688/26, was instituted by Soweto against the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, and AIG Jimoh, who was formerly Commissioner of Police in Lagos State before his promotion to head Zone 2 Police Command.
In the substantive fundamental rights enforcement action, Soweto was asking the court to declare that the alleged use of teargas and force by AIG Jimoh and police officers under his command during a peaceful protest on January 28, 2026, violated his constitutional rights to dignity, peaceful assembly, and association.
The applicant is seeking, among other reliefs, a declaration that the alleged actions of the police amounted to torture and unconstitutional infringement of his rights guaranteed under Sections 34 and 40 of the Constitution and relevant provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
He is also asking the court to order the Inspector-General of Police and the Police Service Commission to refer AIG Jimoh for training on human rights, democratic policing, and international best practices.
In addition, Soweto is claiming N70m in damages against the senior police officer for alleged torture and injuries, including what he described as a lumbosacral spine injury allegedly sustained during the protest.
According to court documents, the applicant alleged that he was leading a peaceful demonstration organised by civil society groups against the demolition of communities in Makoko and Oworonshoki when police officers dispersed protesters with teargas near the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Soweto claimed that he was subsequently assaulted, arrested, and detained by officers under the command of the then Lagos Commissioner of Police.
He further alleged that the incident resulted in serious physical injuries requiring medical treatment, physiotherapy, and ongoing care.
The activist also accused the police of denying him access to his lawyer and family members while in custody and attempting to prosecute him for participating in what he described as a lawful protest.
In support of his claims, the applicant attached medical reports, photographs, receipts for medical expenses, and media reports, which he said corroborate the injuries and circumstances surrounding his arrest.
The case was adjourned to October 28, 2026.
Meanwhile, the Coalition against Demolition, Forced Eviction, Land-grabbing and Displacement in Lagos State condemned an alleged fresh attack on displaced residents of Precious Seed and other waterfront communities in Oworonshoki, where makeshift shelters were allegedly set ablaze by land-grabbers early Monday and Tuesday.
The statement was issued shortly after a related court proceeding in Lagos, where a Federal High Court granted an ex parte application in a fundamental rights enforcement case filed by activist Hassan Taiwo Soweto, seeking substituted service on a senior police officer involved in earlier protests connected to the Oworonshoki demolitions.
In its press statement, the coalition said armed groups returned to waterfront settlements where thousands of evictees have been living since large-scale demolitions carried out between November 2025 and January 2026.
Signatories to the statement included Hassan Soweto, a member of the organising committee of the #EndBadGovernance movement in Lagos State; Jude Ojo of Ilaje Otumara; Kunnu Paul of Otodo Gbame; and Imole Dezyno, all leaders within informal settlement networks.
Also listed were Megan Chapman, Co-Executive Director of Justice & Empowerment Initiatives, and representatives of the #EndBadGovernance Movement.
It was alleged that structures housing displaced families were destroyed at Ebute Kekere on June 8, 2026, while similar attacks were carried out at Precious Seed community in the early hours of June 9, 2026.
According to the coalition, the Precious Seed community was demolished on November 27, 2025, with the involvement of the Lagos State Task Force and personnel of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, displacing more than 3,000 residents.
It further claimed that subsequent evictions across other parts of the Oworonshoki waterfront displaced an additional 10,000 people.
The group said many affected residents have since remained in makeshift shelters built on debris from their former homes, exposed to heavy rains and lacking access to basic services. It is alleged that the latest attacks were aimed at clearing land for private development, including plans for a gathering reportedly linked to a party on the disputed waterfront.
Leaders of the coalition, including representatives of the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation, said the repeated destruction of temporary shelters amounts to ongoing persecution of already displaced communities. They called on Lagos residents and civil society groups to resist what they described as “rampant impunity and land grabbing”.
The coalition warned that it would continue to document and challenge forced evictions and alleged land-grabbing activities across Lagos, insisting that displaced residents must be guaranteed protection, resettlement, and access to justice.