Community leaders and displaced residents staged a protest at the Ikeja Under-Bridge in Lagos on Wednesday, condemning the ongoing demolition of waterfront and low-income communities, including Makoko, Owode Onirin, and Oworonshoki.
The demonstrators accused the Lagos State Government of carrying out forced evictions without adequate notice, compensation, or resettlement plans. They occupied sections of the busy under-bridge, displaying placards with messages such as “Stop Forced Evictions Now,” “Makoko Lives Matter,” and “Housing Is a Human Right.”
Other signs read, “Where Do You Want the Poor to Go?” and “Development Without Displacement.” Protesters also showed photographs of demolished homes and displaced families, chanting slogans like “No Justice, No Peace” and calling on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt the demolitions and engage in dialogue.
Speaking to journalists, activists described the actions as inhumane and in violation of court orders restraining forced evictions in waterfront communities. They claimed many residents have been rendered homeless, forced to sleep in canoes, under bridges, and in open spaces.
The protesters argued that communities like Makoko—a decades-old informal settlement partly built on stilts over the lagoon—should be upgraded through proper urban planning rather than destroyed. They vowed to continue demonstrations until the government suspends demolitions, provides relief and compensation, and implements humane resettlement policies.
During a visit to Makoko, displaced residents were seen salvaging belongings from the ruins two weeks after the demolition, with some using wooden canoes as temporary shelters. The community, largely inhabited by Egun people who are predominantly fishermen, comprises six villages, four of which are floating.
