Makoko residents demand justice after violent police attack

Residents of Makoko waterfront communities on Wednesday staged a protest at the Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa, demanding justice and accountability following demolitions that have left families homeless and claimed lives.

The demonstration turned tense after police fired tear gas to disperse protesters and observers.

The residents were protesting against what they described as forced evictions, broken agreements, and a lack of compensation, after large sections of their communities were demolished, destroying homes, churches, schools, and local clinics.

Protest turns tense at Alausa

The demonstration, which began peacefully, saw dozens of residents march from Ikeja Under Bridge to the Lagos State House of Assembly, chanting and calling on the government to halt further demolitions and clearly define demolition boundaries.

Eyewitnesses   said  tensions escalated when protesters insisted on being addressed directly by the governor rather than lawmakers or police officials.

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Shortly after, security operatives fired tear gas, causing panic as protesters, journalists, and bystanders fled the area.

Urban January Wheduto, founder of the Makoko Children Development Foundation School and orphanage, said the protest was triggered by the government’s failure to honour a verbal agreement on demolition limits.

BREAKING: Police tear-gas Makoko residents protesting eviction, demolition in Lagos

Read details:https://t.co/5cabUqPoQf pic.twitter.com/G2Xxoxnntx

— Intel Region (@IntelRegion) January 28, 2026

“The government told us the demolition would not pass 100 metres from the power line, but they have gone more than 522 metres,” Wheduto told The Lagos Voice.

He added, “We want them to show us the boundary so people can rebuild or be compensated.”

Wheduto alleged that no formal notice was issued before the demolitions began and that repeated appeals to the Lagos State Ministry of Urban Development yielded no response.

“They kept changing the distance, 30 metres, then 50, then 100, but the caterpillar never stopped. Schools and clinics were destroyed, and many people are now homeless,” he said.

It was a peaceful protest – Community leader.

Another community leader, Pastor Martins Zannu Joshua, insisted the demonstration was non-violent until police intervention.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, initially approached protesters but withdrew after human rights activist Omoyele Sowore accused security agencies of complicity in the demolitions.

Joshua alleged that attempts to force Sowore into the Assembly premises triggered the escalation.

“That was when the police started firing tear gas and live bullets. People ran for their lives,” he claimed.

Youth Leader Describes Heavy Security Presence

Iroko Temitope, a youth leader and representative of the Gunuvi Students Association, said residents from Makoko, Oworoshoki, Owode Onirun, and Bariga converged for the protest.

“I have never seen this kind of massive task force at Alausa before. It showed they already knew we were coming,” he said.

Temitope maintained that protesters followed agreed guidelines and that traffic was not completely blocked, contrary to police claims.

Temitope confirmed that Omoyele Sowore and four others were arrested during the protest. While three have since been released, Sowore and one other individual were arraigned in court on January 29, 2026.

[IN PICTURES]: Police have charged Taiwo Hassan (@HTSoweto) and Dele Frank before the Yaba Magistrate Court on five counts after their arrest during protests over demolitions and displacement in Makoko, Owode Onirin and Oworonshoki, Lagos. pic.twitter.com/ur3jyAmnDT

— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) January 29, 2026

Police deny excessive force

In a statement posted on its official X account, the Lagos State Police Command said officers intervened after protesters allegedly blocked Awolowo Way for over six hours, disrupting public peace and emergency movement.

The police claimed protesters carried a coffin and caused chaos, adding that tear gas was used minimally after lawmakers’ attempts at dialogue were rejected. The command insisted that no deaths or injuries resulted from police action.

*LAGOS POLICE DISPERSED VIOLENT PROTESTERS WITH MINIMUM FORCE, WHO UNLAWFULLY BLOCKED THE AWOLOWO WAY TO THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ROAD FOR OVER SIX (6) HOURS CAUSING DISTURBANCE OF PUBLIC PEACE, DISTORTION OF LAW AND ORDER AND PREVENTING THE GENERAL PUBLIC FROM USE AND PASSAGE TO… pic.twitter.com/OoHsTbRJHe

— Lagos State Police Command (@LagosPoliceNG) January 28, 2026

Journalist disputes Police Account.

However, Opeyemi Lawal, a reporter with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), contradicted the police version, describing the protest as orderly.

“There was no violence from the protesters. Even when some tried to tamper with government property, they were warned immediately,” Lawal told The Lagos Voice.

She added that protesters occupied only one side of the road and that the movement continued throughout the demonstration.

Heavy Human Cost of Demolitions

Wheduto painted a grim picture of the impact on the community, claiming lives were lost during the demolition exercise.

“From the demolition, we have lost 10 children and five adults. During the protest, many were injured and are currently in the hospital,” he said.

Residents say many displaced families are now sleeping in canoes and boats, with no alternative accommodation provided.

Community wants a chance to rebuild

Wheduto highlighted the heavy toll the demolition has inflicted on his community, noting the injuries sustained during the protest. 

“During the protest, a lot of people were injured; they shot them in the legs. They are currently in the hospital; nobody died during the protest,” he said.

He emphasised that the demonstrations were intended to be peaceful, aimed at urging the government to respond, yet residents remain uncertain about their future. 

“What we are begging the government is to give us boundaries so we can start life again and continue our normal life. We don’t know what is going to happen next; they didn’t tell us to continue our normal life or leave entirely. Now they have cleared the whole community,” Wheduto added.

Wheduto stressed that the community is willing to rebuild and live peacefully, but they require government support. 

“We want to continue our daily lives, send our children to school, work, and raise our families without fear of being displaced again,” he said.

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Joshua raised concerns over what he described as the government’s shifting demolition boundaries, stating that residents were initially told to move 30 metres away from the power line, which was later increased to 100 metres, but has now extended beyond 500 metres.

“As we speak, properties and houses have been completely demolished, and people have been totally displaced without any alternative accommodation or provision by the government,” he said.

He alleged that the government now intends to demolish the entire Makoko community and suppress anyone who speaks against the action, calling on the public and the international community to intervene.

“We are appealing to the world to come to our aid. Many of those affected are currently sleeping in canoes and boats because they have nowhere else to go,” Joshua added.

Community leaders are now calling on civil society groups, the public, and the international community to intervene as uncertainty hangs over the future of Makoko.