S4C Announce Release on Bail of Lagos Community Leader , Musbau, Laments Over Oppressor

Comrade Agbodemu Ishola Musbau’s release from police custody threw Spaces for Change | S4C and the Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCS) into a celebratory mood last week. Agbodemu is a vibrant community leader of Otto Mainland community in Lagos and AGFCS member. Nigerian police authorities at Zone II Police Command detained him on May 9^, 2024, based on his posts on social media condemning the demolition of his community, which resulted in the displacement of over 4,000 urban poor residents, most of whom are women and children.

On March 22, 2024, authorities rolled in bulldozers into Otto Mainland Community in Ebute-Metta, Lagos, flattening buildings and setting over 100 houses ablaze.  Mr. Gafar Wahab, a young graduate was killed in the process. Comrade Agbodemu has been actively using social media to advocate for justice, compensation and resettlement for displaced Otto residents who are predominantly poor.

On May 9, the Zone II Police Command invited him for a meeting. When he got there, he was arrested, tortured and detained at the police station. Spaces for Change and AGFCS members swung into action, leveraging their solidarity networks and collective action to facilitate his release. All the efforts made to get the police to release him failed. On May 10, the police authorities charged him in court for “breach of peace by offensive publication, publication of false news and hateful statements”. His arrest was allegedly made at the behest of certain powerful individuals in the community discomforted by his persistent demand for justice and remedy for displaced residents.

Spaces for Change’s legal team followed up with the case right from the police station up to his arraignment in court. The organization provided free legal representation, arguing his bail backed by strong legal submissions in support of his immediate release from custody. The court upheld S4C’s arguments before admitting him to bail, while setting the matter down for trial. S4C also took steps to perfect his bail conditions to ensure his immediate release.