Nigeria Responds to Allegations of Police Force During Demolition Protests

In southwest Nigeria, the Lagos State government has rejected claims that police used excessive force against residents protesting demolitions and evictions in parts of the state, describing reports of the incident as misleading and inaccurate.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy, and Security, Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode, said allegations that police operatives attached to the state command fired tear gas at protesters contained “distortions and unverified claims capable of inflaming public tension.”

The response follows a protest by residents and human rights groups over ongoing demolitions, during which police fired live ammunition and tear gas, leaving at least 17 people injured and several others arrested, according to eyewitnesses.

Tensions escalated when demonstrators reached the entrance of the Lagos State House of Assembly complex in Alausa, where police had blocked access using patrol vehicles.

Protesters later pushed through security lines, marching into the legislative complex while holding placards with messages such as “Stop the demolitions, it’s illegal!” and “Justice for the traders of Owode Onirin!”

Participants accused the government of carrying out demolitions without prior consultation, compensation, or relocation plans, actions they said have left thousands displaced.

Lagos has witnessed a surge in demolitions in recent months, particularly in waterfront and informal settlements largely inhabited by fishing communities.

In December 2025, authorities began demolishing structures in Makoko, a densely populated community on the Lagos Lagoon. Residents accused the government of breaching an agreement that restricted demolitions to buildings located within a 30-metre radius of high-voltage power lines.

On January 22, the coalition reported that at least 12 people had been killed and thousands displaced following demolitions in several communities, including Makoko, Owode Onirin, Oworonshoki, Otumara, Baba-Ijora, and Ajegunle.