Oiza Yusuf |
Two non-governmental organisations, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and the Centre for Children’s Health Education Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE), have condemned the renewed demolition exercise in the Makoko community by the Lagos State Government, describing it as a cruel and inhumane attack on poor and vulnerable residents. The groups called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to immediately halt the exercise and protect the rights of the affected communities.
In a joint statement, the organisations decried what they described as gross human rights violations arising from the ongoing forced evictions in the waterfront community, which is largely inhabited by low-income fishing families. They alleged that armed security operatives and thugs were deployed to the area, where houses were set ablaze and residents forced to flee in chaos, with women, children and elderly persons scrambling for safety.
According to accounts from community members, the demolition began without prior notice on January 5, when government agents reportedly arrived with bulldozers and commenced the destruction of homes. Residents said they were shocked by the scale of the operation, especially as earlier assurances had allegedly been given by government representatives that only structures within 30 metres of a high-tension corridor would be affected.
A community insider recounted that the demolition team arrived early in the morning, firing gunshots, spraying teargas and confiscating residents’ boats, which serve as their primary means of livelihood. The source alleged that the operation extended far beyond the agreed area, with houses reportedly burnt deep into the community. Many residents, they said, were away at markets, fishing or travelling for the holidays when their homes and belongings were destroyed. The insider also claimed that community chiefs were summoned to the Government House after raising concerns about the presence of bulldozers, and that the demolition intensified in their absence.
HOMEF and CEE-HOPE described the action as unlawful, unjustifiable and another example of state violence against the urban poor. They argued that instead of ensuring the safety and welfare of citizens, the government had exacerbated hardship, insecurity and displacement in an already vulnerable community.
The Executive Director of HOMEF, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, condemned the demolition as reprehensible and unacceptable, stressing that the rights to housing and dignity of Makoko residents must be respected. He criticised what he described as the government’s persistent dehumanisation of poor communities, allegedly in collaboration with private development interests.
Similarly, the Executive Director of CEE-HOPE, Betty Abah, accused the Lagos State Government of acting lawlessly in its treatment of low-income communities. She recalled previous demolition exercises in areas such as Oko-Baba, Ayetoro, Otumara, Baba-Ijora and Oworonshoki, which she said had displaced tens of thousands of residents. Abah noted that Makoko had previously suffered a major demolition in 2012, during which a local chief was reportedly killed, and questioned why the state continued to prioritise forced evictions over the provision of affordable or social housing.
She further raised concerns about the impact of such demolitions on children, many of whom, she said, are forced out of school following displacement. Abah questioned the legality of the evictions, pointing to alleged violations of court rulings, injunctions and established guidelines on prior notice, resettlement and compensation.
The organisations concluded by calling on the Lagos State Government to immediately stop the demolition, provide medical care and compensation for injured and displaced residents, and adopt slum-upgrading strategies in line with international best practices. They urged authorities to respect human dignity and uphold the government’s duty of care to all residents, warning that continued forced evictions only deepen poverty and social injustice in the state.
