Rights Groups Condemn Violent Makoko, Other Lagos Communities Demolitions, Demand Immediate Halt
By Ekemini Simon
A coalition of national and international human rights, environmental and social justice organisations has condemned what it described as the “violent and unlawful” demolition of Makoko and other waterfront communities in Lagos, calling on the state government to immediately halt the exercise and respect court orders and residents’ rights.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday by 23 organisations across Nigeria, Africa, Asia and Europe, the organisations accused the Lagos State Government of using excessive force to demolish homes and public facilities in Makoko, a historic fishing settlement on the Lagos Lagoon, leaving hundreds of families homeless.
According to the statement, demolitions began on January 5, 2026, when armed demolition teams moved into Makoko, allegedly deploying tear gas and force against residents, including women, children and elderly persons. Homes, schools, clinics and places of worship were reportedly pulled down, with many affected residents forced to seek shelter in boats, churches and open spaces.
The groups said the Makoko demolitions are part of a wider pattern of forced evictions across Lagos over the past year. They listed communities including Oko-Baba, Ayetoro (parts of Makoko), Otumara, Baba-Ijora, Oworonshoki and Precious Seeds as areas where tens of thousands of people have been displaced, often without prior notice, consultation or resettlement plans.
“In most cases, houses were reportedly set ablaze by demolition teams, even with residents’ personal belongings still inside,” the statement said.
The organisations also pointed to earlier mass evictions in communities such as Badia East, Otodo-Gbame, Maroko, Monkey Village, Ilaje-Bariga and Ifelodun, noting that several deaths had been reported over the years as direct consequences of such actions.
They said that the repeated demolitions demonstrate a disregard for due process and the rule of law, stressing that some affected communities had pending court cases or injunctions restraining the state government from carrying out evictions.
“These actions violate Nigeria’s constitutional protections and international human rights standards,” the statement said, warning that forced evictions threaten the cultural and economic survival of waterfront communities that depend largely on fishing and related livelihoods.
The coalition also argued that the demolitions worsen Lagos’s already severe housing crisis, which affects millions of residents in Africa’s most populous city.
The organisations asked the Lagos State Government to immediately stop all demolitions, comply with court orders, investigate allegations of human rights abuses by security and demolition teams, and provide adequate compensation and alternative housing for affected residents.
They further called on authorities to adopt a rights-based and environmentally sustainable approach to urban development that prioritises human dignity, housing security and livelihoods over forced displacement.
“We stand in solidarity with Makoko and all communities facing unlawful and violent evictions in Lagos,” the statement said.
The statement was signed by 23 organisations including the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Oilwatch Africa, Policy Alert, the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights in Norway, and the WoMin African Alliance, among others.