Human rights advocates and civil society organizations have expressed their outrage over the Lagos State Government’s ongoing demolitions in waterfront and informal settlements, including areas like Makoko, Oworonshoki, Owode Onirin, Otumara, and Baba-Ijora. These demolitions have resulted in the displacement of numerous residents and have claimed at least twelve lives, all occurring despite a $200 million initiative from the World Bank aimed at upgrading slums and enhancing living standards.
The leaders of these civil society groups have condemned the demolitions as part of a larger, systemic attack on the impoverished urban populace, executed without any form of adequate consultation, compensation, or resettlement, raising pressing concerns regarding human rights, governance, and the management of international development funds.
During a press conference held on Thursday at the International Press Centre in Ogba, Lagos State, the organizations accused the government of carrying out forced evictions without prior notice or plans for relocation.
"These actions signify a calculated pattern of state-sanctioned violence against the urban poor, aimed at clearing valuable land for the interests of the elite and large private developments," stated Zikora Ibeh, assistant executive director of Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA).
The statement from the press conference was endorsed by several community leaders, including Israel Idowu, student coordinator from the Makoko Waterfront community; Abiodun Ahmed, chairman of Owode Motor Spare Parts Market; Tunde Yusuf, secretary of the Ajegunle Peoples Movement (APM); Olanrewaju Olusegun, secretary of the Coalition of Oworonshoki Demolition Victims; Betty Abah, founder of the Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEEHOPE); and Alex Omotehinse, president of the Center for Human and Social Economic Rights (CHSR).
Furthermore, the coalition included voices from CAPPA, Iwamitighi Irowainu, president of Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide, Opeyemi Adamolekun from Active Citizen, and Hassan Taiwo Soweto, a member of the #EndbadGovernance Movement in Lagos State.
Highlighting a failed World Bank-funded initiative, Ms. Ibeh reminded the audience that in 2006, the Lagos State Government designated nine slum communities for a development scheme worth $200 million, labeled the Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project (LMDGP).
This project aimed to revamp schools, hospitals, markets, and other essential infrastructures in informal areas like Agege, Ajegunle, Amukoko, Badia, Iwaya, Makoko, Ilaje, Bariga, and Ijeshatedo/Itire. However, a investigation by PREMIUM TIMES in 2013 revealed that the government had merely installed a non- functional borehole and an outdated transformer in Makoko, instead of the new one required by the World Bank.
Ms. Ibeh highlighted that this initiative, intended to aid one million residents, concluded in September 2013 with an unsatisfactory rating from the World Bank. World Bank policy prohibits slum upgrading that leads to the displacement of inhabitants. Nonetheless, shortly after, Lagos intensified its demolition efforts across key slums.
"While it's vital for governments to manage urban spaces, genuine urban renewal must prioritize inclusivity and respect for rights. Slum improvement cannot equate to the elimination of slums," Ms. Ibeh stated. She noted that cities like Nairobi and Cape Town have successfully upgraded informal settlements without mass displacements, protecting the livelihoods, cultural ties, and communities of their inhabitants.
Ms. Ibeh urged that the Lagos government should consider similar strategies rather than resorting to force.
In their declaration, the organizations pointed out that forced evictions have become a chronic issue in Lagos State. For instance, Otodo Gbame experienced the displacement of over 30,000 residents between 2016 and 2017 despite existing court orders against such actions.
In Oworonshoki, residents faced nighttime demolitions that resulted in injuries and arrests. Multiple communities such as Orisunmibare, Otto, and Oko Baba faced comparable evictions in 2024, with residents alleging deceit and illegitimate processes.
In March 2025, Ilaje-Otumara and Baba-Ijora underwent mass demolitions that left more than 10,000 people homeless and resulted in the destruction of residences, businesses, and places of worship.
Focusing on the demolitions in Makoko, Ms. Ibeh articulated that these actions began on December 23, 2025, targeting a historic waterfront community of over 100,000 individuals. She reported that state authorities have dismantled upwards of 3,000 homes and rendered more than 10,000 individuals homeless, with armed personnel and machinery employing tear gas and setting homes ablaze while residents were inside.
At least twelve individuals, including two infants, have lost their lives, alongside schools, clinics, and religious facilities being demolished, placing many displaced children in precarious conditions and exposing them to health threats.
She emphasized that residents claim to have adhered to government directives issued to maintain safe distances from high-tension power lines, yet demolitions have occurred beyond the agreed parameters, intruding up to 500 meters into the community.
She reiterated allegations from community leaders that the government has exploited safety regulations to appropriate land for private interests.
In defense of the ongoing demolitions, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has asserted that the actions are essential for the protection of lives and property. In statements made after signing the N4.4 trillion 2026 budget, he articulated that the demolitions target unlawful constructions erected in high-risk zones and areas beneath power lines.
“The safety of lives and property is paramount and must be amplified,” he stated. “We had to engage first responders when a tanker transporting 33,000 liters of fuel overturned on a bridge and spilled fuel, with over 100 individuals scooping it. Had anything transpired, the outcome could have been disastrous. This situation mirrors that of Makoko. The government's intention is to avert tragedies, not to penalize the populace.”
Governor Sanwo-Olu further noted that numerous residents had constructed shanties under high-tension lines, thereby endangering themselves.
“We are not demolishing the entirety of Makoko. We are clearing specific regions to prevent encroachment on the Third Mainland Bridge and to keep residents secure from high-tension lines,” he explained.
Responding to criticisms from non-governmental organizations, he suggested that some organizations might be driven by financial motivations rather than genuine concern for the residents, while also promising relief measures, including relocation assistance and grants for families affected by the demolitions.
The coalition argues that the government has systematically neglected fundamental infrastructure, sanitation, access to clean water, and healthcare. They claim that the government weaponizes these inadequacies to justify forced evictions.
The statement pointed out that the state has frequently defied court orders. In October 2025, human rights attorney Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), obtained a temporary injunction to suspend demolitions in Oworonshoki—a mandate largely dismissed by the government.
Additionally, in 2025 the Federal High Court prohibited the government and its agencies from carrying out any further demolitions in waterfront communities, awarding N3 million in damages for prior violations. Civil society groups contend that the government has yet to fulfill this financial obligation.
At the press conference, residents from Makoko and Ajegunle shared their traumatic experiences of displacement and violence. Idowu Israel, student coordinator from Makoko, stated that the demolitions extended 500 meters into the area, with tear gas harming women, children, and the elderly.
He asserted that a newborn perished due to inhaling tear gas, while a woman giving birth bled to death because a bulldozer obstructed her access to medical attention. Meanwhile, Abiodun Ahmed, who manages the Owode Motor Spare Parts Market, recounted that security personnel demolished shops overnight, confiscating goods and vehicles while demanding fees of N50,000 for vehicle retrieval.
Furthermore, Tunde Yusuf, secretary of the Ajegunle Peoples Movement (APM), claimed that officials forcibly displaced elderly residents and demolished homes to pave the way for a logistics center.
Civil society leaders are calling for an immediate cessation of all demolitions, the establishment of safe emergency shelters for affected families, and guaranteed access to education and healthcare. They also demand full compensation for destroyed properties, transparent resettlement plans, a public apology from the governor, and accountability for state-sponsored violence.
The groups expressed that Lagos cannot claim the status of a global city while treating its most vulnerable citizens as expendable obstacles to profit.
Lagos has a documented history of forcibly evicting residents from informal settlements, often rationalized under the guise of urban revitalization, yet widely criticized for infringing on residents’ rights.
Waterfront and slum communities such as Otodo Gbame, Oworonshoki, Orisunmibare, and Ilaje-Otumara have encountered large-scale demolitions in recent years, displacing tens of thousands despite court rulings and legal protections.
Makoko, one of the historical waterfront communities in Lagos, has repeatedly been targeted in state-led demolition efforts. Rights organizations have labeled such actions as unlawful, violent, and discriminatory.
The Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project (LMDGP), a $200 million initiative from the World Bank started in 2006, was intended to upgrade slums and enhance infrastructure without displacing residents. Observers, including Amnesty International, have criticized the subsequent demolitions in Lagos as contradictory to the objectives of this project.
Civil society groups, notably Slum Dwellers International, have emphasized that these recurring forced evictions undermine residents’ livelihoods and the aspirations of Lagos as a global city, underlining the necessity for inclusive and rights-based urban development policies.
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