Community leaders and residents displaced from several low-income neighbourhoods in Lagos took to the streets on Wednesday, staging a protest at the Ikeja Under-Bridge to denounce what they described as widespread demolitions and forced evictions across the state.
The protesters accused the Lagos State Government of pulling down homes in communities such as Makoko, Owode Onirin and Oworonshoki without proper notice, compensation or clear resettlement arrangements. According to them, the demolitions have left hundreds of families stranded and exposed.
The demonstration briefly disrupted traffic along the busy Ikeja axis as protesters occupied key sections of the under-bridge, attracting the attention of motorists and passersby. Many held placards with bold messages including “Stop Forced Evictions Now,” “Housing Is a Human Right,” “Urban Renewal, Not Urban Removal,” and “Lagos Is for All, Not the Rich Alone.”
Other signs questioned the government’s plans for displaced residents, reading, “Where Do You Want the Poor to Go?” and “Demolition Without Resettlement Is Injustice.” Some protesters also displayed photographs showing demolished homes, displaced families, children and elderly residents allegedly affected by the exercise.
As they chanted slogans such as “No Justice, No Peace,” “Makoko Is Not a Slum,” and “Consult the People,” the demonstrators urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to immediately stop further demolitions and open dialogue with affected communities.
Activists who addressed journalists at the scene described the demolitions as cruel and unlawful, claiming they violated existing court orders that prohibit forced evictions in certain waterfront areas. They alleged that many residents were made homeless overnight, with some families resorting to sleeping in canoes, under bridges and in open spaces after their houses were destroyed.
The protesters argued that communities like Makoko, Owode Onirin and Oworonshoki have existed for decades and should be improved through inclusive urban renewal, infrastructure upgrades and proper planning rather than being erased.
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They called on the state government to suspend all demolition activities, provide immediate relief materials, pay compensation to affected residents and adopt humane, people-centred resettlement policies. The protesters vowed to continue their demonstrations until their demands are addressed by the authorities.
