The Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEEHOPE) Nigeria, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) have strongly condemned the Lagos State Government’s ongoing brutal demolition of homes at the Makoko waterfront community which has reportedly resulted in the death of two babies and an adult, mass displacements, and the arrest of a community leader advocating for restraint and due process.
In a statement on Tuesday, they described the incidents as an unfortunate pattern of disregard for the constitutional rights to life and wellbeing of marginalised residents eking out a living despite years of neglect by the state government.
They further highlighted the troubling arrest of Mr. Oluwatobi Aide (also known as Woli), a youth leader in the community. Mr. Aide was reportedly picked up by security agents on Monday, January 12, 2026, and is being detained at the Area F Police Station, Ikeja, after earlier being taken to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) office in Alausa.
The statement noted that, 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.
Condemning the demolitions and arrest, Nnimmo Bassey, Director of HOMEF 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. 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.”
According to the groups, since January 5, 2026, armed thugs, security personnel and demolition teams with bulldozers have descended repeatedly on Makoko, a historic fishing community on the Lagos Lagoon with a population estimated at over 100,000 residents. Homes were set on fire with little or no notice, in some cases while residents were still in their homes. Tear gas was deployed against women, children, and elderly persons, leaving many injured and hospitalised and with three persons – including two babies – reported dead so far. Among the dead are 70-year-old Ms. Albertine Ojadikluno, and five-day-old Epiphany Kpenassou Adingban.
They noted that “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,” said Akinbode Oluwafemi, Executive Director at CAPPA.
“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.”
Betty Abah, Executive director of CEE HOPE lamented that Makoko’s experience is not isolated.
“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.
The groups described the state’s actions as unconstitutional.
“These actions constitute grave violations of Section 44 of the Nigerian Constitution, Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and international standards prohibiting forced evictions without due process, consultation, adequate notice, compensation, and resettlement.
“We therefore demand the following immediate actions:
“An immediate halt to all demolition activities in Makoko and other affected Lagos communities.
“The unconditional release of Mr. Oluwatobi Aide and any other community members arrested in connection with peaceful advocacy or inquiries related to the demolitions.
“An independent and transparent investigation into the reported deaths, use of force, and human rights abuses, with those found responsible brought to justice.
“Adequate compensation, restitution, and resettlement for all affected residents, including restoration of destroyed schools, clinics, and livelihoods.
“Respect for court processes, community consultation, and due process in all urban development initiatives.”
They warned that urban development “cannot be pursued through violence, fear, and dispossession. Clearing communities without humane alternatives only deepens Lagos’s housing crisis, estimated at a deficit of over four million housing units, and undermines 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.”
