Outrage As Rights Groups Condemn Makoko Demolitions, Allege Deaths, Mass Evictions and Arrest Of Youth Leader
Fresh outrage has trailed the ongoing demolitions at the Makoko waterfront in Lagos, as three civil society organisations accuse the Lagos State Government of rights violations, forced evictions and deadly use of force against vulnerable residents.
The Centre for Children’s Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE), Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), and Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) say the demolition exercise has allegedly claimed the lives of two babies and an elderly woman, displaced thousands of residents, and led to the arrest of a youth leader who appealed for restraint.
In a joint statement issued on Tuesday, the groups described the demolitions as a brutal assault on a historic fishing community, accusing the state of acting with “contempt for the lives and well-being of the urban poor.”
They also condemned the arrest of Mr Oluwatobi Aide, a Makoko youth leader, who was reportedly detained after appealing to demolition officials to allow residents time to retrieve their belongings.
The groups said Mr Aide, who was earlier tear-gassed and hospitalised, is currently being held at Area F Police Station, Ikeja, with his health deteriorating.
According to the organisations, since January 5, armed security operatives and demolition teams have repeatedly invaded Makoko, setting homes ablaze, deploying tear gas, and demolishing over 3,000 houses.
They claim more than 10,000 people have been displaced, with schools, clinics and places of worship also destroyed, leaving families, including children, sleeping in boats, churches and open spaces.
HOMEF Director, Nnimmo Bassey, described the demolitions as “state-sanctioned violence,” while CAPPA’s Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, accused the government of expanding the demolitions beyond agreed safety corridors.
CEE-HOPE’s Betty Abah warned that Makoko’s ordeal reflects a wider pattern of forced evictions across Lagos, disproportionately affecting women and children.
The groups are demanding an immediate halt to the demolitions, the unconditional release of Mr Aide, an independent investigation into the reported deaths and use of force, and compensation and resettlement for displaced residents.
They warned that urban development pursued through force and dispossession only deepens Lagos’ housing crisis and undermines social stability, urging the government to adopt a rights-based and inclusive approach to development.
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