HUMAN rights and environmental justice organisations have criticised the Lagos State Government over the ongoing demolition of homes in the Makoko waterfront community.
They said the action had led to the deaths of two babies and an elderly woman, the displacement of thousands of residents, and the arrest of a youth leader.
The Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE) Nigeria, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) raised the alarm in a joint statement shared with The ICIR on Tuesday, describing the operation as “brutal, unconstitutional and inhumane.”
“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.
“The thuggish arrest of community members and forced displacement of families who have always known Makoko as home, underscore 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,” Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, said in the statement.
The ICIR reports that the Lagos State government started the demolition of Makoko, a densely populated waterfront community along the Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos, three weeks ago.
The government said the exercise was part of a wider plan to redevelop waterfront areas and increase revenue from coastal assets.
Makoko has long been a flashpoint for forced evictions and government-led demolitions, a pattern that stretches back decades, with its first encounter in April 2005, followed by July 2012, when armed police dismantled parts of the stilt community after a 72-hour notice.
In 2022, The ICIR reported that the community resisted another planned demolition by the state government through an estate developer.
Reacting further to the latest destruction, the right groups said armed security personnel, demolition teams and “armed thugs” have repeatedly invaded Makoko since January 5, 2026, pulling down homes, setting some structures ablaze, and firing tear gas at residents, including women, children and elderly persons. It said at least three people, including two infants, have died in connection with the demolitions.
“Over 3000 houses have reportedly been destroyed so far, displacing more than 10,000 people. Five schools, two clinics, and several places of worship have also been demolished. 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.
“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,” Executive Director CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said.
The organisations also accused security agencies of targeting community leaders, alleging that a Makoko youth leader, Oluwatobi Aide, popularly known as Woli, was arrested on Monday after he approached demolition officials to plead for time for residents to retrieve their belongings.
“According to eyewitness accounts, Mr. Aide approached officials of the demolition squad to appeal for at least a few hours, to allow affected residents retrieve their belongings after it became clear that the demolitions had extended beyond the originally communicated corridor and perimeter to power lines. Rather than engage with the community’s concerns, security agents reportedly arrested him. Since his arrest, Mr. Aide, who was tear-gassed during the demolitions and hospitalised last week, has experienced a further deterioration in his health while in detention.”
Similarly, the Executive Director of CEE HOPE, Betty Abah, posited that Makoko’s experience was not isolated, noting that demolitions had extended to areas such as Oko-Baba, which are not under power lines, reinforcing fears that the true objective was the clearance of the thriving Makoko community.
“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 said.
The organisations described the Makoko operation as a violation of Section 44 of the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and international standards on forced evictions.
“We therefore demand the following immediate actions (1) An immediate halt to all demolition activities in Makoko and other affected Lagos communities. (2) The unconditional release of Mr. Oluwatobi Aide and any other community members arrested in connection with peaceful advocacy or inquiries related to the demolitions. (3) An independent and transparent investigation into the reported deaths, use of force, and human rights abuses, with those found responsible brought to justice. (4) Adequate compensation, restitution, and resettlement for all affected residents, including restoration of destroyed schools, clinics, and livelihoods. (5) Respect for court processes, community consultation, and due process in all urban development initiatives,” the group said..
The group also warned that urban development driven by violence and mass displacement would only worsen Lagos’ housing crisis, which they said already had a deficit of over four million housing units.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.