Flashback: 2022 Video Shows Sanwo-Olu in Tense Confrontation with Police Officers in Lagos
- A resurfaced 2022 video showed Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in a tense confrontation with police officers at Magodo Phase 2 Estate
- The footage captured the governor ordering the evacuation of armed officers amid residents’ protests over a lingering land dispute
- The incident reignited debate about the limits of gubernatorial authority and the role of security agencies in Nigeria’s land conflicts
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A 2022 video has resurfaced following Wike’s recent clash with soldiers in Abuja, showing Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in a tense exchange with police officers at Magodo Phase 2 Estate.
According to Premium Times, an unidentified Chief Superintendent of Police refused to obey the governor’s order to evacuate officers who had laid siege to the estate.
Source: Twitter
The video, obtained by the newspaper, captured Sanwo-Olu’s attempt to intervene in the ongoing land dispute.
Residents protest police presence
Many residents of Magodo Phase 2 had protested the continuous presence of armed police officers. The closure of the estate gate disrupted traffic, grounding vehicular movement and preventing residents and business owners from reaching their destinations.
Governor’s confrontation with police
In the footage, Sanwo-Olu was seen instructing the police team leader to contact his superiors in Abuja.
“Can you call your superiors in Abuja? That the governor is here and I’m the chief security officer, tell them that you don’t have any business in my state and that I want you to disengage from here.
“That’s why I want you to make a phone call and tell your superior that I’m here, standing in front of you. Make that phone call,” Mr Sanwo-Olu said.
However, the assistant superintendent of police replied that he was acting strictly under orders.
“Yes, sir, I’m here on the instruction of the inspector general of police, through the attorney general sir and that is why I’m here. I’m too small or too low to call them, your excellency, with due respect, you can call them directly, Sir,” the officer said.
When asked who his superiors were, the officer identified them as the “Inspector General of Police, through the AGF.”
Governor questions legality of operation
Governor Sanwo-Olu stated that he had spoken to the Attorney General earlier in the day, who denied knowledge of the police presence. The officer responded that he was expecting a call to disengage the “several” armed officers stationed within the estate.
When pressed on the number of officers deployed, the assistant superintendent declined to disclose the figure, citing “security purpose.”
Describing the operation as illegal, Mr Sanwo-Olu reiterated that the Chief Superintendent of Police was not aware of the deployment.
Source: Getty Images
Backstory of Magodo land crisis
The confrontation followed earlier unrest in 2021, when dozens of police officers and members of the Shangisha Landlord Association invaded Magodo Phase 2 Estate to enforce a court judgment. Witnesses reported that the group arrived with bulldozers in an attempt to demolish properties within the estate.
See the video of the confrontation below:
What led to the faceoff between Wike and soldier
Legit.ng earlier reported that a video showing a heated exchange between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and a soldier on November 11, 2025, has sparked public interest, with new details now shedding light on what triggered the confrontation.
According to Lere Olayinka, senior special assistant to Minister Wike, the clash stemmed from an ongoing dispute over a piece of land in Abuja.
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Source: Legit.ng
