Civil society organisations (CSOs) have criticised the Lagos State Government over what they described as the violent demolition of homes in the Makoko waterfront community.
The Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEEHOPE) Nigeria, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) expressed their condemnation in a joint statement issued on Tuesday.
The CSOs said the demolitions have allegedly led to the deaths of two infants and an adult, widespread displacement of residents, and the arrest of a community leader who had called for restraint and adherence to due process.
According to the groups, the development reflects a recurring pattern of disregard for the constitutional rights to life and well-being of marginalised residents who have continued to survive in the community despite years of state neglect.
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The group drew attention to the arrest of Oluwatobi Aide, also known as Woli, a youth leader in Makoko.
They alleged that Aide was arrested by security operatives on Monday, January 12, 2026, and is currently being held at the Area F Police Station in Ikeja, after first being taken to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) office in Alausa.
They explained that Aide had approached officials of the demolition team to request a few hours for residents to retrieve their belongings after it became apparent that the exercise had extended beyond the initially communicated corridor and perimeter around power lines. Rather than engage with the request, security agents reportedly arrested him.
Since his arrest, the groups said Aide’s health has worsened while in detention. He had reportedly been tear-gassed during the demolitions and was hospitalised last week.
Condemning both the demolitions and the arrest, the Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, said, “We view these latest attacks on vulnerable populations and the urban poor as the most violent manifestations of Lagos State government’s contempt for those it views as human scrap to be cleared for elite profit and at the pleasure of land speculators and the rich.
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“The thuggish arrest of community members and forced displacement of families who have always known Makoko as home underscores the helplessness of the struggling people in the country. We see this assault as comparable to what Nigerians are suffering at the hands of bandits in some parts of the nation. This state campaign of land grabbing and displacement is repugnant and must be halted.”
The groups stated that since January 5, 2026, armed thugs, security operatives, and demolition teams equipped with bulldozers have repeatedly invaded Makoko, a historic fishing settlement on the Lagos Lagoon, with an estimated population of over 100,000 people.
They alleged that homes were set ablaze with little or no notice, sometimes while occupants were still inside. Tear gas was reportedly fired at women, children, and elderly residents, resulting in multiple injuries, hospitalisations, and the reported deaths of three people, including two babies.
Among those reported dead are a 70-year-old woman, Albertine Ojadikluno, and a five-day-old infant, Epiphany Kpenassou Adingban, the CSOs asserted.
The organisations further alleged that over 3,000 houses have reportedly been destroyed so far, displacing more than 10,000 people, as well as five schools, two clinics, and several places of worship that have also been demolished.
They alleged that many displaced residents – including children – are now sleeping in boats, canoes, churches, school buildings, or in the open, exposed to the elements and serious health risks.”
Speaking on the scope of the demolitions, the Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said, “These actions starkly contradict earlier assurances by officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Urban Development that the exercise was limited to structures within 50 metres of power lines – a claim later shifted to 100 metres, despite legal standards generally stipulating a 30–50 metre corridor.
“Demolitions have since extended to areas such as Oko-Baba, which are not under power lines at all, reinforcing fears that the true objective is the wholesale clearance of the thriving Makoko community.”
The Executive Director of CEEHOPE, Betty Abah, added that Makoko’s situation mirrors similar experiences in other Lagos communities.
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She noted, “Over the past year, the Lagos State Government has carried out similar demolition exercises in communities including Oko-Baba, Ayetoro (parts of Makoko), Otumara, Baba-Ijora, Oworonshoki, and Precious Seeds, displacing tens of thousands of low-income residents, particularly women and children.
“In several cases, demolitions were carried out without prior notice, consultation, or provision of alternative accommodation, and in defiance of pending court cases or injunctions.
“Earlier evictions in Badia East, Otodo-Gbame, Maroko, Monkey Village, Ilaje-Bariga, and Ifelodun reveal a long-standing pattern of forced evictions that have shattered livelihoods, uprooted families, and left women and children exposed to heightened risks of violence, hunger, and poverty,” Abah added.
Demolitions unconstitutional
The groups described the demolitions as unconstitutional, arguing that the state government violated Section 44 of the Nigerian Constitution.
They stated Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and international standards that prohibit forced evictions without due process, consultation, adequate notice, compensation, and resettlement.
Their demands
They demanded an immediate halt to demolition activities in Makoko and other affected communities, the unconditional release of Oluwatobi Aide and others arrested in connection with peaceful advocacy, and an independent investigation into the reported deaths, use of force, and alleged human rights abuses.
The CSOs also called for adequate compensation, restitution, and resettlement for affected residents, including the restoration of destroyed schools, clinics, and livelihoods, as well as respect for court processes, community engagement, and due process in urban development initiatives.
They warned that urban development “cannot be pursued through violence, fear, and dispossession,” adding that the destruction of communities without humane alternatives would worsen Lagos’ housing deficit, estimated at more than four million units, and threaten social stability.
“CEE-HOPE, HOMEF, and CAPPA stand in solidarity with the people of Makoko and all communities facing unlawful evictions across Lagos State.
“We call on the Lagos State Government to abandon coercive approaches and adopt rights-based, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable urban development that prioritises human dignity, housing security, and livelihoods over land speculation and private profit,” the groups said.
Alex is a business journalist cum data enthusiast with the Pinnacle Daily. He can be reached via ealex@thepinnacleng.com, @ehime_alex on X
