Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro (SAN), has insinuated that residents of Oworonshoki area may be using the state's compensation money to sue the government after their buildings were demolihed recently.

This was as he dismissed claims that the state government willfully disobeyed a subsisting court order by continuing demolition of houses in Oworonshoki, describing the allegation as "false and unfair."

Speaking with the newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday, Pedro stated that he was not aware of any court order restraining the state from continuing with the demolition exercise.

"As of today, I am aware of the court order they are referring to. However, before the demolition exercise they are complaining about, that order was not served on any government agency. I believe it was endorsed on Friday, October 24, the same day the demolition took place. Even if the order was obtained that day, could it have been served on a Saturday? As at that time, no government office was aware of any such order," Pedro explained.

He revealed that affected persons were paid compensation despite questions surrounding the legality of their property ownership.

"The demolition started almost a month ago and was stopped on the governor's directive. The people were thereafter compensated to enable them to relocate. The case they now refer to was not even filed until recently, despite their prior knowledge of government's plan to clear the area. They only went to court belatedly, possibly using the same compensation funds to engage lawyers and sue the government," Pedro alleged.