ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Human rights and environmental advocacy organisations 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), have condemned what they described as the Lagos State Government’s violent demolition of homes in the Makoko waterfront community.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the groups said the ongoing demolitions have resulted in the reported deaths of two infants and an adult, the displacement of thousands of residents, and the arrest of a youth leader who was appealing for restraint and adherence to due process.
They described the development as part of a recurring pattern of state actions that disregard the constitutional rights to life, dignity, and wellbeing of poor and marginalised communities struggling to survive amid prolonged government neglect.
The organisations also raised concern over the arrest and detention of Mr. Oluwatobi Aide, popularly known as Woli, a youth leader in Makoko.
According to the statement, 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 initially being taken to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) office in Alausa.
Eyewitnesses reportedly said Aide approached officials supervising the demolitions to plead for a brief window at least a few hours for residents to salvage their belongings after it became evident that the demolitions had exceeded the initially announced boundaries linked to power line corridors. Rather than engage with his plea, security agents allegedly arrested him.
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The groups added that Aide’s health has worsened in detention, noting that he had been tear-gassed during earlier demolition exercises and hospitalised last week before his arrest.
Condemning both the demolitions and the arrest, Director of HOMEF, Mr. Nnimmo Bassey, described the actions as a violent assault on vulnerable communities.
“We see these attacks on the urban poor as the clearest expression of the Lagos State Government’s contempt for people it treats as expendable human scrap to be cleared for elite profit, land speculators, and the wealthy,” Bassey said.
“The violent arrest of community members and the forced eviction of families who have known Makoko as home all their lives highlight the utter helplessness of struggling Nigerians. This assault is comparable to the suffering people face from banditry in other parts of the country. This state-led land-grabbing campaign is reprehensible and must stop.”
According to the groups, since January 5, 2026, armed thugs, security personnel, and demolition teams operating with bulldozers have repeatedly invaded Makoko, a historic fishing settlement on the Lagos Lagoon estimated to house over 100,000 people.
They alleged that homes were set ablaze with little or no warning sometimes while occupants were still inside land that tear gas was fired at women, children, and elderly residents. Many were injured and hospitalised, while at least three deaths, including those of two babies, have so far been reported.
Among the victims, they said, were 70-year-old Ms. Albertine Ojadikluno and a five-day-old infant, Epiphany Kpenassou Adingban.
The statement further noted that more than 3,000 homes have reportedly been destroyed, forcing over 10,000 residents out of their homes. Five schools, two health clinics, and several places of worship were also demolished.
Many of those displaced, including children, are now said to be sleeping in boats, canoes, churches, school buildings, or out in the open, exposing them to harsh weather conditions and severe health risks.
Executive Director of CAPPA, Mr. Akinbode Oluwafemi, said the demolitions contradicted earlier assurances by the Lagos State Ministry of Urban Development.
“Officials initially claimed the exercise was restricted to buildings within 50 metres of power lines, a position later shifted to 100 metres despite established legal standards usually prescribing a 30 to 50-metre corridor,” Oluwafemi said.
“Demolitions have since spread to areas like Oko-Baba, which are not even under power lines, reinforcing concerns that the real intention is the complete clearance of the Makoko community.”
Executive Director of CEE-HOPE, Ms. Betty Abah, said Makoko’s ordeal mirrors a wider pattern of forced evictions across Lagos State.
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“Over the past year, similar demolition exercises have taken place in Oko-Baba, Ayetoro (parts of Makoko), Otumara, Baba-Ijora, Oworonshoki, and Precious Seeds, displacing tens of thousands of low-income residents mostly women and children,” Abah said.
She noted that in many cases, demolitions were carried out without notice, consultation, alternative housing, or regard for pending court cases or injunctions.
She also recalled earlier evictions in Badia East, Otodo-Gbame, Maroko, Monkey Village, Ilaje-Bariga, and Ifelodun, which she said reflect a long-standing practice of forced evictions that have destroyed livelihoods, fractured families, and heightened exposure to violence, hunger, and poverty.
The organisations declared that the demolitions violate both national and international laws.
“These actions amount to serious breaches of Section 44 of the Nigerian Constitution, Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and international standards that prohibit forced evictions without due process, consultatioenvironmentally sustainable urban development that prioritises human dignity, housing security, and livelihoods above land speculationn, adequate notice, compensation, and resettlement,” the statement said.
The groups demanded the immediate suspension of all demolition activities in Makoko and other affected communities across Lagos State.
They also called for the unconditional release of Mr. Oluwatobi Aide and any other residents arrested for peaceful advocacy or inquiries related to the demolitions.
In addition, they demanded an independent and transparent investigation into the reported deaths, use of force, and alleged human rights violations, with perpetrators held accountable.
They further urged the government to provide adequate compensation, restitution, and resettlement for all affected residents, including the rebuilding of destroyed schools, clinics, and livelihoods.
The groups insisted that court processes, community engagement, and due process must be respected in all urban development initiatives.
Warning against violent urban renewal strategies, the organisations said development cannot be achieved through fear, dispossession, and brutality.
They argued that demolishing communities without humane alternatives only worsens Lagos State’s housing deficit estimated at over four million units and threatens social stability.
“CEE-HOPE, HOMEF, and CAPPA stand in solidarity with the people of Makoko and all communities facing unlawful evictions across Lagos,” the statement added.
They called on the Lagos State Government to abandon coercive methods and embrace inclusive, rights-based, and and private profit.