Chaos erupted on Wednesday in Lagos as men of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command fired teargas at hundreds of residents protesting a series of demolitions across the state, particularly in Makoko and Iyana-Oworoonsoki areas.
The protest, organised by the Coalition Against Demolition, Forced Eviction, Land Grabbing and Displacement in Lagos, was in solidarity with victims of government-led demolitions in Makoko, Iyana-Oworoonsoki, Otumara, Owode-Onirin, and other affected communities. Demonstrators marched under the Ikeja Bridge on Awolowo Road, Ikeja, proceeding along the highway to Alausa, where the Lagos State House of Assembly Complex is located.
During the protest, the leader, an activist known as Comrade Soweto, along with several unidentified participants, were arrested. Others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the melee as security forces sought to disperse the crowd. Workers, passersby, and protesters fled in panic when the situation escalated outside the Assembly complex.
Protesters carried banners with slogans calling on the government to protect vulnerable residents. Some of the inscriptions included: “Lagos is not for the rich alone,” “A megacity cannot be built on the bones and blood of the poor,” and “End forced eviction.”
Security personnel, including the RRS and the Lagos State Taskforce, blocked access to the Assembly around 1:30 p.m. and fired several teargas canisters to disperse the surging crowd. The heavy-handed approach led to widespread panic, with demonstrators retreating while security forces maintained positions at strategic points.
The incident highlights growing tensions between residents of affected communities and the Lagos State government over urban development policies. Activists continue to demand that demolitions be halted and alternative arrangements made to protect citizens’ homes and livelihoods, arguing that development should not come at the expense of the poor.
