Protesters on Wednesday took over parts of the Ikeja under-bridge in Lagos to denounce ongoing demolitions and alleged forced evictions in waterfront and low-income communities, including Makoko, Owode Onirin and Oworonshoki.
The demonstration, led by community leaders and displaced residents, drew public attention as commuters and motorists slowed around the busy axis to observe the gathering.
The protesters accused the Lagos State Government of carrying out the demolitions without adequate notice, compensation or concrete resettlement plans for affected families.
Many of them carried placards with inscriptions such as “Stop Forced Evictions Now,” “Makoko Lives Matter,” “Housing Is a Human Right,” and “Urban Renewal, Not Urban Removal,” while others displayed photographs of demolished homes and displaced residents.
Some placards featured images of children and elderly persons, which the protesters said represented the most vulnerable victims of the demolitions.
Chanting solidarity songs and slogans, the demonstrators repeatedly called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt further demolitions and open dialogue with affected communities. Popular chants included “No Justice, No Peace” and “Makoko Is Not a Slum.”
Speaking with journalists at the scene, some activists described the demolitions as inhumane and a violation of court orders restraining forced evictions in waterfront communities.
They alleged that several residents were rendered homeless overnight, with families forced to seek shelter in canoes, under bridges and open spaces after their homes were pulled down.
The protesters argued that communities such as Makoko, Owode Onirin and Oworonshoki had existed for decades and should be upgraded through inclusive urban planning rather than destroyed.
They vowed to sustain the protest until the government suspends the demolitions and addresses their demands, including compensation, relief for displaced residents and the adoption of humane resettlement policies.