Makoko Demolitions: CEE-HOPE, HOMEF, CAPPA Condemn Lagos Govt Over Deaths, Forced Evictions, Youth Leader’s Arrest

Part of the demolished Makoko Community 

Human rights and environmental groups, 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 the Lagos State Government over the ongoing demolition of homes in the Makoko waterfront community, which they say has led to deaths, mass displacement, and the arrest of a youth leader.

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the organisations described the demolitions as a “brutal and unconstitutional assault” on marginalised residents, alleging that the exercise has resulted in the deaths of two babies and an adult, widespread homelessness, and human rights abuses.

Late Albertine Ojadikluno and deceased babies

They also raised concern over the arrest of Mr. Oluwatobi Aide, popularly known as Woli, a youth leader in Makoko. 

According to the groups, Aide was arrested on Monday, January 12, 2026, by security operatives after he appealed to demolition officials to allow residents time to retrieve their belongings when the exercise reportedly extended beyond the earlier announced perimeter near power lines.

Aide was initially taken to the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) office in Alausa before being transferred to the Area F Police Station, Ikeja, where he remains in detention. 

Arrested Youth Leader, Oluwatobi Aide

The statement noted that he had been tear-gassed during the demolitions, hospitalised last week, and has since suffered a worsening health condition while in custody.

Condemning the demolitions, the Director of HOMEF, Nnimmo Bassey, described the actions as an attack on vulnerable populations.

“We view these latest attacks on the urban poor as violent expressions of contempt for people treated as expendable. The forced displacement of families who have always known Makoko as home, and the thuggish arrest of community members, underscore the helplessness of struggling Nigerians,” Bassey said.

The groups alleged that since January 5, 2026, armed security personnel and demolition teams accompanied by bulldozers have repeatedly invaded Makoko, a historic fishing settlement on the Lagos Lagoon with an estimated population of over 100,000 residents. 

They claimed that houses were set ablaze with little or no notice, in some cases while residents were still inside.

Tear gas was reportedly deployed against women, children, and the elderly, leaving many injured and hospitalised. Among those reported dead are 70-year-old Albertine Ojadikluno and five-day-old Epiphany Kpenassou Adingban.

According to the statement, over 3,000 houses have been destroyed, displacing more than 10,000 people. At least five schools, two clinics, and several places of worship were also demolished, forcing displaced residents to sleep in boats, canoes, churches, school buildings, or in the open.

The Executive Director of CAPPA, Akinbode Oluwafemi, accused the government of shifting justifications for the demolitions.

“Officials initially claimed the exercise was limited to structures within 50 metres of power lines, later changing it to 100 metres, despite legal standards generally stipulating 30-50 metres. Demolitions have since extended to areas not under power lines at all,” he said.

Executive Director of CEE-HOPE, Betty Abah, said Makoko’s ordeal reflects a broader pattern of forced evictions across Lagos.

She listed communities including Oko-Baba, Ayetoro, Otumara, Baba-Ijora, Oworonshoki, Precious Seeds, as well as earlier demolitions in Badia East, Otodo-Gbame, Maroko, Monkey Village, Ilaje-Bariga, and Ifelodun, where residents were displaced without consultation, notice, or resettlement.

The organisations described the demolitions as violations of Section 44 of the Nigerian Constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and international standards on forced evictions.

They demanded an immediate halt to demolitions, the unconditional release of detained community members, an independent investigation into the reported deaths and use of force, and adequate compensation and resettlement for affected residents.

The groups warned that urban development driven by displacement and violence would only worsen Lagos’ housing deficit, estimated at over four million housing units, and threaten social stability.

They called on the Lagos State Government to adopt a rights-based, inclusive, and humane approach to urban development that prioritises housing security, livelihoods, and human dignity.

Photos:

The late Mrs Ms Albertine Ojadikluno,

A deceased baby

Another deceased baby

Mr. Oluwatobi Aide