By Media360Impact
The trial of rights activists Hassan Taiwo, popularly known as “Soweto”, and Dele Frank over their alleged participation in a January 28, 2026, anti-demolition protest in Lagos was stalled on Monday after the police and their witnesses failed to appear before the Yaba Magistrates’ Court.
The case, which came up before Magistrate Mrs I. O. Alaka, also revealed that the police had only partially complied with an earlier court order directing the release of personal belongings seized from protesters during the demonstration.
Defence counsel, O. C. Olagunju, told the court that although most of the seized belongings had been returned, the police said they were still searching for a laptop belonging to the DJ who provided music at the protest.
Soweto and Frank are facing a five-count charge, including alleged unlawful assembly and singing abusive songs against the police and the Lagos State Government.
The defendants were arrested following the police dispersal of the protest outside the Lagos State House of Assembly. According to the defence, tear gas was fired at protesters during the incident, while several personal and protest-related items were confiscated.
Among the items allegedly seized were a Dell laptop, loudspeakers, generators, a channel mixer, wired and wireless microphones, a stabiliser amplifier, a power amplifier, a table fan, extension boxes, loudspeaker wires and a laptop bag.
The bag reportedly contained an ATM card, external hard drive, cables, cords, Bluetooth earpods, headphones, a wireless microphone, a wallet containing at least N40,000, another wallet containing N23,000, two first-aid bags and other personal belongings.
At the previous hearing on May 8, 2026, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, had obtained an order directing the police to release the seized items, paving the way for the substantive trial to commence.
However, when proceedings resumed on Monday, neither the police nor their witnesses were in court.
Olagunju questioned the absence of the police, pointing out that the matter had been specifically adjourned for the commencement of trial.
He warned that the defence would seek to have the case struck out if the police failed to appear again on the next adjourned date.
The lawyer also informed the court that most of the seized property was eventually released on Friday, August 28, 2026, but the police claimed they were still trying to locate the laptop belonging to the protest DJ.
He therefore sought an adjournment to allow the police more time to produce the missing item and enable the trial to proceed.
Magistrate Alaka granted the application and adjourned the case until October 26, 2026.
‘Police Absence Shows Weak Case’ — Soweto
Speaking to journalists outside the court, Soweto described the continued absence of the police as an indication that the prosecution’s case was weak.
He alleged that the January protest was violently disrupted and that several protesters were injured.
“That protest was heavily attacked and repressed by the police. In the process of firing tear gas and other shots, several protesters were injured — about five protesters, two of whom had to be hospitalised for several days,” Soweto alleged.
He said protesters also lost money, purses and other personal belongings during the incident, describing it as an attack on the right to peaceful protest.
Soweto said the defence would consider asking the court to strike out the case if the prosecution failed to appear at the next hearing.
“Our lawyer has told the court that if this absence persists on the next adjourned date, we will move an application to have this case struck out. This trial is a waste of taxpayers’ money, our time, and the court’s time,” he said.
‘They Returned Even Half-Pairs of Shoes’
Soweto said between 80 and 90 per cent of the items seized during the protest had now been recovered.
“We have taken possession of at least 80 to 90 per cent of those seized items. A bag here is filled with slippers and shoes of protesters, some just half of a pair. That gives an idea of the onslaught launched against us,” he said.
He, however, expressed concern over the continued absence of the DJ’s laptop, describing it as an expensive piece of equipment essential to the DJ’s livelihood.
“What is missing right now is the laptop belonging to our DJ. It’s a very costly laptop, and they claim they are still looking for it,” he said.
Soweto questioned how a laptop could go missing while in police custody.
“The police are supposed to be an elite crime-fighting organisation. For them to say a laptop disappeared from their storeroom is not something we agree with,” he added.
He said the DJ had been unable to fully return to work since the protest because the laptop remained in police custody.
“Since January 28, that DJ has been without the tools with which he seeks his livelihood. They released the sound system, but without the laptop, it’s as good as releasing nothing,” Soweto said.
He appealed to the authorities at Panti Police Station and the new Lagos State Commissioner of Police to ensure that the laptop is immediately returned.
The activist also reiterated that the January protest was driven by opposition to the displacement of residents of Makoko, Otumara, Owode Onirin and other waterfront communities in the name of urban development.
He argued that Lagos’ drive to become a megacity should not come at the expense of working-class residents whose homes and livelihoods are threatened by demolition.
The matter has now been adjourned until October 26, 2026, when the prosecution is expected to appear and the court may proceed with the substantive trial.
