Makoko Residents Protest Demolition of Homes, Accuse Lagos Government of Violating Safety Setback Agreement

Residents of Makoko, a densely populated waterfront community along the Lagos Lagoon, have staged protests against the demolition of their homes by officials of the Lagos State Government, accusing authorities of breaching an agreed safety setback arrangement and carrying out the exercise without adequate notice or humane considerations.

According to affected residents who spoke with TheCable on Thursday, the demolition exercise began on December 22, 2025, under the pretext of enforcing safety regulations around a high-tension power line that runs through the community and across the Third Mainland Bridge. Many residents initially believed that only structures within the officially designated safety zone would be affected. However, they claim the scope of the demolition later expanded far beyond what was agreed.

Messou Abayomi, a community stakeholder, said discussions had taken place last year between Makoko leaders and Lagos State officials, during which both parties agreed that only buildings encroaching on the safety setback from the power line would be removed. According to him, the initial agreement was for a 30-metre setback, which was later reviewed to 50 metres and eventually settled at 100 metres to ensure public safety.

Abayomi alleged that the most recent round of demolitions, which resumed on January 4 and 5, 2026, clearly violated the agreed terms. He explained that the green flag mast erected to mark the 100-metre limit was ignored by demolition teams, who allegedly pushed as far as 200 metres into the community.

“They have gone far beyond the agreed 100-metre setback,” Abayomi said. “They are demolishing houses up to 200 metres away. They lied to us. They came with caterpillars and started pulling down houses without notice, and as we speak, the demolition is still ongoing.”

Several residents recounted harrowing experiences of losing their homes and livelihoods without warning. Micheline Sunnuvun, a woman in her sixties, said her house was demolished last Friday without prior notice, leaving her homeless. She added that her food supplies, including bags of garri, were destroyed during the operation.

“I have been sleeping outside by the shore since my house was destroyed,” Sunnuvun said in Yoruba. “At night, I cover myself with clothes. Everything I use to survive has been destroyed, and I have nowhere to go.”

Another affected resident, Wusu John, a fisherman who has lived in Makoko for over 30 years, said he relocated from Kweme community in Badagry decades ago to continue his fishing business. He claimed community leaders had assured him that his house would not be demolished because it did not fall within the agreed setback.

“I was here when they installed this power line,” John said, sitting in front of the remains of his demolished home. “We were not prepared for this. This place has been my home for over 30 years. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

John also alleged that security operatives accompanying the demolition team fired teargas canisters at residents who protested the exercise, further escalating tensions in the area. When journalists visited Makoko, several displaced residents were seen sleeping in wooden boats loaded with salvaged belongings, highlighting the humanitarian impact of the demolitions.

Reacting to the controversy, Gbolahan Oki, Permanent Secretary at the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, defended the government’s actions. He said the demolition was carried out in the interest of public safety, stressing that the state would be held responsible if a power line were to collapse into the water and cause casualties.

Demolition exercises are not new to Makoko, a settlement that has long faced threats of eviction. Over the years, successive Lagos administrations have made several attempts to dislodge residents, citing environmental, safety and urban planning concerns. Human rights groups, however, have repeatedly criticised such actions, arguing that they often occur without adequate consultation, compensation or resettlement plans.

In response to the latest demolitions, residents on Thursday marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly complex in Ikeja to protest the destruction of their homes. The demonstrators appealed directly to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urging him to halt further demolitions and respect the agreed 100-metre setback.

Protesters carried placards bearing messages such as “Save Makoko Community,” “Shelter Is Our Right,” and “Please Leave Our Homes Alone, 100 Metre Is 100 Metre,” as they called for dialogue, compensation and a more humane approach to urban renewal.

As tensions continue to rise, the Makoko demolition has once again sparked debate about urban development, poverty, housing rights and the treatment of vulnerable communities in Lagos, Africa’s most populous city.