Lagos Demolition Sparks Outrage As 10,000 Residents Face Homelessness
In a city already battling a deepening housing crisis, the demolition of two densely populated Lagos communities has reignited concerns over forced evictions, broken government promises and the fate of the urban poor.
Residents of Ilaje Otumara and Baba Ijora, alongside civil society groups, have strongly condemned what they described as the forced eviction of more than 10,000 people, warning that the action could trigger a complete collapse of public trust in government-led urban development initiatives.
According to a joint press release issued by organised residents and rights groups, officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), accompanied by security operatives and alleged hoodlums, stormed the communities on 7 March 2025 with excavators and began large-scale demolitions without prior notice, despite earlier assurances from state authorities that residents would not be displaced.
The groups alleged that homes and businesses were pulled down over three days, leaving thousands of families stranded in the open, with many now exposed to hunger, insecurity, illness and loss of livelihood.
They described the exercise as a direct violation of existing court orders and years of engagement between the communities and the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA) over a proposed regeneration plan that was expected to include residents.
“This action represents a dangerous return to an era where citizens can no longer trust government assurances on land governance and urban renewal,” the statement read.
The release further noted that Ilaje Otumara had, since 2021, been involved in discussions with government agencies on community-led regeneration, including a census that recorded 2,808 households and over 12,000 residents.
Civil society organisations are now calling on both the Lagos State and Federal Governments to immediately halt the demolition, provide emergency relief for displaced residents and rebuild the affected communities.
The incident has once again brought the issue of forced evictions in Lagos to the fore, with rights groups warning that repeated demolitions risk worsening poverty and homelessness in Nigeria’s commercial capital.
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