There was palpable tension in Lagos on Wednesday as community leaders and displaced residents staged a protest at the Ikeja under-bridge, condemning ongoing demolitions and alleged forced evictions in waterfront and low-income communities across the state.
The protesters accused the Lagos State Government of carrying out demolitions in areas such as Makoko, Owode Onirin and Oworonshoki without adequate notice, compensation or resettlement plans for affected residents.
The aggrieved demonstrators occupied strategic sections of the Ikeja under-bridge, temporarily disrupting movement and drawing the attention of commuters and motorists along the busy axis.
The protesters carried placards bearing inscriptions such as “Stop Forced Evictions Now,” “Makoko Lives Matter,” “Demolition Without Resettlement Is Injustice,” “Urban Renewal, Not Urban Removal,” “Homes Not Rubble,” and “Housing Is a Human Right.”
Other messages read “Where Do You Want the Poor to Go?” “Lagos Is for All, Not the Rich Alone,” “Respect Court Orders,” and “Development Without Displacement.”
Some demonstrators displayed photographs of demolished houses and displaced families, while others held images of children and elderly persons said to have been affected by the demolitions.
Chanting solidarity songs and slogans such as “No Justice, No Peace,” “Makoko Is Not a Slum,” and “Consult the People,” the protesters repeatedly called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt further demolitions and engage affected communities in dialogue.
Speaking to journalists at the scene, activists described the demolitions as inhumane and in violation of existing court orders restraining forced evictions in some waterfront communities.
They alleged that many residents were rendered homeless overnight, with some families forced to sleep in canoes, under bridges and in open spaces after their homes were pulled down.
According to the protesters, communities such as Makoko, Owode Onirin and Oworonshoki have existed for decades and should be upgraded through inclusive urban renewal and proper planning rather than demolished.
They demanded an immediate suspension of demolitions, the provision of relief materials, compensation for affected residents and the adoption of humane resettlement policies.
The protesters vowed to sustain the demonstrations until the government responds to their demands.
Recall that Governor Sanwo-Olu recently stated that the demolition in Makoko does not affect the entire community.
“We are not demolishing the whole of Makoko. We are clearing the shanties so they do not extend to the Third Mainland Bridge and remain under high-tension power lines,” the governor said.
He stressed that the government’s decision was based on the collective interest of Lagos State and its residents, and not driven by any ulterior motive.
