Residents from Makoko and other Lagos waterfront communities staged a peaceful protest outside the office of the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, alleging that the government breached agreements on setbacks from the powerline within the community and pulled down structures without compensation and relocation plans.
They alleged that rather than adhering to the 30-meter setback agreed upon, the government officials from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development extended the demolition exercise to structures that were 500 meters away from the powerline in the community.
Representatives of the Slum Dwellers International’s Nigeria Federation, including Bisola Akinpelu, expressed fears that unchecked demolitions could erase entire communities, leaving thousands homeless and prompting urgent calls for intervention by state lawmakers.
The protest on Thursday in Ikeja, which came barely three weeks after the government commenced the demolition exercise, was staged amid the ongoing demolition exercise.
Expressing their displeasure over the demolition exercise that cut short the yuletide celebration in the community after families were displaced into the water without shelter, the protesters accused the Sanwo-Olu-led administration of being insincere and having no regard for citizens’ welfare.
Protesters highlighted a pattern of broken promises, where initial 30-meter setbacks stipulated by urban planning regulations were arbitrarily increased to 100 meters under Lagos state law, and then further to 500 meters, sparking widespread discontent.
“That wasn’t the agreement. It was normally 30 metres setback. But now, from 30 metres they say, oh no, that is not what the Lagos state law says… It has to be 100 metres. Then we agreed to 100 metres. Now, from 100 metres to 500 metres, and they are still demolishing. They are still demolishing right now!!” said the first resident.
“No compensation!! If there is agreement and compensation, we would not be here in the first place. We would not be here. We are here because we are not satisfied with what is being done,” the resident added, emphasizing the lack of remorse from authorities.
Bisola Akinpelu explained, “our people in Makoko actually came to complain about the demolition that is ongoing since December 23, and throughout the December like the Christmas period, they were demolishing and people were actually outside in the water sleeping being homeless while some of us were busy eating our Christmas rice in our own roof taking some soft drinks they were busy struggling.”
She continued, “then we were hoping that the demolition would stop according to the LASCA, Lagos State building Control Agency that says they need a metre setback from the power line because there is actually a power line so initially it was 30 metres but they said, according to Lagos state law that they want 100 metres away from the power line and they have actually gotten the 100 metres away from the power line and today there is still demolition they have demolished up to 500 metres now and they are still demolition demolition.”
“Our fear is that maybe tomorrow there won’t be a place called Makoko anymore and we won’t have a place called home because 80,000 were homeless and we are still counting and today, as I am speaking with you now, the excavators are still there, still working,” Akinpelu warned.
Committee Chairman Ogundipe Steven Kayode, representing the government, urged mutual understanding, stating, “The government has a right to say it wants to do something. And you two also have the right to say how it should be done. It must be a mutual understanding in which we work together.”
He assured intervention, saying, “And we also need to intervene on your behalf. And you also need to give us that space to do that,” while requesting documents to relay concerns to the Speaker of the House.
Protesters criticized dealings with local Baales, noting, “most of these baale’s are telling people not to even come out and do anything. That they should not worry, people should trust them. That they are not going to take more than 30 metres, which is the stipulated regulations of urban planning from Powerline.”
“Eventually, 30 metres extend to 50 metres, from 50 metres to 100 metres. And at the end of the day, everybody agrees 100, 100 metres. Now they are talking about 500 metres,” the first resident lamented, demanding an immediate halt before further actions.
Ogundipe emphasized peaceful resolution, appealing, “we also want to appeal that you won’t, on your way back, anybody to be out. And peacefully, that you’ve come here because you want to join our police force.”
The chairman promised escalation, stating, “the moment we get back here, we will inform the Speaker of the House,” and committed to reviewing agreements, even if “dirty” or “faulty,” to address the breaches.
Protesters insisted on proper procedures, arguing, “Before you carry out any eviction or demolition in any area, as a government… You must carry out what we call profiling. You must carry out an enumeration. You must know the area. You know how many people you want to displace. You must have made an alternative plan for them.”
They concluded, “So you don’t just embark on eviction and demolition without any alternative plan to accommodate your own people. If you really are the government of the people, and these people believe that you are their own government, too.”
