NIGERIA: Lagos Police Disperse Makoko Demolition Protesters with Tear Gas

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

A peaceful protest by residents of Makoko, Iyana-Oworonshoki and other waterfront communities in Lagos on Wednesday turned chaotic after operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command dispersed demonstrators with tear gas.

The affected residents had converged at the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest the ongoing demolition of their homes, which they described as unjust, inhumane, and poorly communicated. The protesters, numbering in their hundreds, were seen chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards demanding an immediate halt to the demolition exercise.

However, eyewitness accounts and videos circulating on social media showed police operatives moving in to break up the protest. Officers reportedly fired shots into the air and deployed tear gas canisters, forcing the demonstrators to flee the area.

Some protesters accused the authorities of violating their constitutional right to peaceful assembly, alleging that the demolitions were carried out without adequate notice, compensation, or resettlement plans. They claimed that many families had been rendered homeless as a result of the exercise.

As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Police Command had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

The demolitions in Makoko and other waterfront communities have continued to spark public outcry, with civil society groups and residents calling on the government to adopt a more humane and inclusive approach to urban

development.