Following protests by residents and advocacy groups, the Lagos State House of Assembly has ordered an immediate suspension of ongoing demolitions in Makoko.

Rising from a meeting between lawmakers and representatives of the Makoko community at the Assembly Complex in Alausa, Ikeja, on Tuesday, the Majority Leader of the House, Noheem Adams, issued a directive to halt the demolitions.

“On behalf of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Ajayi Obasa, and honourable members of this House, we are taking this matter seriously. All ongoing demolitions should be stopped,” Hon. Adams said.

He added that the Assembly would work with relevant ministries and agencies to review issues surrounding the demolitions and ensure all stakeholders are properly engaged.

He called for transparency by demanding the full list of taskforce members and the criteria used for engagement, adding, “We want to see the list of the taskforce that was constituted because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those task forces and the criteria for those that we are inviting.”

Hon. Adams assured residents of the affected communities that, “As your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those whose properties have been demolished.”

Similarly, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, member of the ad-hoc committee, said there is a need for clear communication, adding that residents targeted for relocation or redevelopment must be informed of the government’s plans in advance.

Babatunde Olajide, Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos on E-GIS and Urban Renewal, confirmed that $2 million had been earmarked since 2021 to transform Makoko into a modern, internationally compliant water city.

He said enumeration of affected properties is underway and reiterated the administration’s commitment to handling the situation with a human face, prioritising resident safety and fair compensation.

The Department of State Services has arraigned former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, and his son, Abdulazeez Malami, on five-count charges of terrorism financing and illegal firearm possession.

As reported by Channels Television on Tuesday, they were arraigned before Justice Joyce Abdumalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

In the charge filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, Malami is also accused of refusing to prosecute suspected terrorism financiers, whose case files were handed to him while he served as the AGF and Minister of Justice.

Malami and Abdulaziz are equally accused of warehousing firearms in their residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birain Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, without lawful authority.

In count one of the charge, the DSS said the Former AGF with knowingly abetting terrorism financing, while the ex-AGF and his son are charged in counts two to five, with unlawful, possession of a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, 16 Redstar AAA 5720 live rounds of cartridges and 27 expended Redstar AAA 5’20 cartridges, contrary to and punishable under relevant Sections of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022 and Firearms Act, 2004.

Malami and Abdulaziz pleaded not guilty when the counts in the charge sheet were read to them.

Shortly after they pleaded to the charge, prosecuting lawyer, Calistus Eze, prayed the court to order their remand in the custody of the DSS and fix a date for the commencement of trial.

Responding, defence lawyer Shuaibu Aruwan (SAN) orally applied for bail for the defendants, arguing that the defendants have been in DSS custody for over two weeks.

Justice Joyce Abdulmalik rejected the oral bail application, noting that her court is a court of record, and ordered the defence to file a formal application for bail.

She ordered that the defendants be remanded to the custody of the DSS and adjourned the matter till February 20 for the commencement of the trial.

Counts in the charge read:

“That you, Abubakar Malami of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, Adult, male, sometime in November, 2022 at Federal Ministry of Justice, Maitama, Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did knowingly abet terrorism financing by refusing to prosecute terrorism financiers whose case files were brought to your office as the Attorney-General of the Federation, for prosecution, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 26 (2) of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami of Gesse Phase II, Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your res:dence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did engage in a conduct in preparation to commit act of terrorism by having in your possession and without licence, a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, Sixteen (16) Redstar AAA 5’20 live rounds of Cartridges and Twenty-Seven (27) expended Redstar AAA 5’20 Cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 29 of Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.

“That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without la icence, did have in your possession a Sturm Magnum 17-0101 firearm, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3 of the Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.

“That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without licence, did have in your possession sixteen (16) Redstar AAA 5’20 live rounds of cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.

“That you, Abubakar Malami and Abdulaziz Abubakar Malami, of Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, adults, males, sometime in December, 2025, in your residence at Gesse Phase II Area, Birnin Kebbi LGA, Kebbi State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, without licence, did have in your possession twenty-seven (27) expended Redstar AAA 5’20 cartridges, and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8(1) of Firearms Act 2004 and punishable under Section 27 (1) of the same Act.

A grieving father, Henry Airenekhuemen, has demanded justice over the death of his son, Mattias, who reportedly drowned in a swimming pool at Signatious Hotel in the Ajao Estate area of Lagos State.

Airenekhuemen, who spoke to newsmen on Monday, said his deceased son had attended a pool party at the hotel on Saturday evening to sell tickets to earn some money.

He, however, said he received a call from one of his son’s elder brothers that Mattias had been rushed to Isolo General Hospital and that a family member was urgently needed.

He narrated that on arriving at the hospital, he was shocked to see his son’s lifeless body in the car that brought him to the medical facility.

“I was called by one of my son’s elder brothers, who told me that Mattias had been rushed to the Isolo General Hospital and that a family member was needed. When I got to the hospital, I saw my son’s lifeless body in the back seat of the car that brought him.

“When I asked what had happened, I was told that he drowned in the swimming pool at the Signatious Hotel in Ajao Estate. I then asked his friend, who brought him to the hospital, what happened, and he said my son had been with him and a lady. About five minutes after he left them, he said he tried to call my son’s phone, but there was no response.

“He said that when he returned to where they had been sitting, the lady told him my son had left the spot, while showing him his phone, which was still there and charging.

He said it was while searching for him that he found my son’s body in the swimming pool,” he narrated.

Airenekhuemen, however, raised doubts about the drowning claim while also pointing to what he described as unusual physical signs on the body.

“If he truly drowned, why was his stomach flat instead of being swollen? And why was there foam coming out of his mouth and nose?” he asked.

He said the family immediately reported the incident to the police, who visited the hospital, took photographs of the body, and later moved it to the morgue.

The father added that police officers subsequently accompanied the family to the hotel to examine the scene. During the visit, he said questions were raised about the presence of a diver or pool supervisor at the time of the incident, but no answers were provided.

According to him, three persons have so far been detained at the Ajao Estate Police Division.

“The manager who was invited to the station and was asked to provide the CCTV footage, but said he had just started working at the hotel, has been detained. The lady who was with my son was also invited to the station, where she wrote her statement and is currently detained. His friend, who claimed to have found him in the swimming pool, was also detained,” he said.

While expressing suspicion over Mattias’ death, the father said the family received a call from a man who claimed to be a staff member of the hotel and made entreaties.

“Two things that made the death of my son look fishy were that on Sunday, one of my sons, Lucky, got a call from someone who said he was a staff member of the hotel. The person asked him what he wanted to settle the whole issue. Another was that the pool party went on that night even though my son was found dead in the swimming pool,” he lamented.

During a visit to the hotel on Monday, our correspondent observed that there were skeletal activities at the premises.

A man believed to be a staff member of the facility, who was seen at the gate, however, disclosed that the hotel was undergoing renovation and had been temporarily shut down.

“The manager is not around for now. You can check back later,” he added.

When contacted for a reaction, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, did not respond to calls made to her telephone line. A text message sent to her had yet to be replied to as of the time this report was filed.