By Abidemi Omoyajowo
International human rights organization, Ammesty International has accused the Lagos State Government of rendering more than 50,000 residents homeless through violent forced evictions and demolition exercises across several communities in the state.
Amnesty International, in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Social media and Communication Officer, Michael Christian, said thousands of families have been displaced, homes destroyed and livelihoods shattered by the government's demolition operations, particularly in Makoko, Oworonshoki and Mile 12.
According to the international human rights organisation, about 50,000 residents were displaced in Makoko alone between December 2025 and January 2026, while approximately 5,000 homes were destroyed in the latest wave of demolitions affecting the waterfront community and other settlements.
The organisation said its findings, based on research conducted between October 12 and 16, 2026, revealed a disturbing pattern of forced evictions carried out without adequate consultation, sufficient notice, compensation or alternative accommodation for affected residents.
Amnesty International further disclosed that the demolition operations have allegedly resulted in at least 42 deaths across Makoko and Oworonshoki, with residents linking the fatalities to trauma, medical neglect, tear gas exposure and the collapse of structures.
In the Oworonshoki communities of Mosafejo and Idiaraba alone, more than 30 deaths were reportedly associated with the demolitions and their aftermath.
Residents also alleged that police officers, sometimes working alongside suspected thugs, used violence against people protesting the destruction of their homes.
Beyond the loss of residential buildings, the demolitions have reportedly crippled access to education, healthcare and religious activities as Amnesty International said 42 schools and 20 healthcare clinics were destroyed in the most recent operations, alongside places of worship.
The organisation also highlighted the devastating economic consequences of the exercise, particularly for families whose livelihoods depend on fishing and other waterfront activities
Amnesty International's Director in Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, condemned the operations, describing them as part of a longstanding pattern of evictions aimed at excluding poor and vulnerable communities in the pursuit of a mega Lagos.
He said the demolitions had continued since 2016 without genuine consultation, adequate notice or alternative housing.
Sanusi expressed particular concern over reports that bulldozers sometimes arrived while residents were still asleep, describing the circumstances surrounding the deaths and destruction as evidence of the Lagos State Government's disregard for human rights and due process.
The organisation also raised concerns that the demolitions proceeded despite a July 2025 Federal High Court judgment restraining the Lagos State Government from demolishing the affected community.
Residents had reportedly approached the court to challenge the exercise after receiving assurances that demolitions would be restricted to structures beneath high-tension electricity lines.
However, Amnesty said the operations extended far beyond the initially communicated boundaries. It reported that at least 14 residents were arrested and detained for approximately one month following protests in Oworonshoki. One affected father told the organisation that he lost two of his three children in circumstances directly connected to the demolition, describing the experience as a source of unbearable pain and suffering.
Amnesty International therefore called on the Lagos State Government to immediately halt all violent forced evictions, investigate deaths and human rights violations associated with past and recent demolitions, and ensure that displaced families receive adequate shelter, compensation where applicable and access to essential services.
The organisation insisted that urban development must not come at the expense of human dignity, particularly for people living in poverty.
It warned that punishing vulnerable communities for the state's urban planning failures is unacceptable and urged the government to respect court orders and its national and international human rights obligations.
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