Among those reportedly killed were 70-year-old Albertine Ojadikluno and five-day-old Epiphany Kpenassou Adingban.
A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has demanded a public apology from Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Lagos State Government over the harm, violence, deaths, displacement and suffering caused by state-led demolitions across several waterfront and inner-city communities in the state.
The groups also called for full accountability for the use of force, killings and other human rights violations allegedly carried out by state agents during the demolitions in communities such as Makoko, Oworonshoki, Owode Onirin, Ilaje-Otumara and Baba Ijora.
In a joint statement obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday, the coalition—comprising national and international human rights, environmental and social justice organisations—accused the Sanwo-Olu administration of presiding over a pattern of illegal, violent and contemptuous forced evictions targeting the urban poor.
According to the groups, thousands of residents have been forcibly displaced without adequate notice, consultation, compensation or resettlement, with security operatives allegedly deploying brute force, tear gas, live ammunition and arson during demolition exercises.
“The Lagos State Government must publicly apologise to affected communities for the deaths, injuries, trauma and destruction caused by these violent demolitions and ensure accountability for every act of violence and killing carried out by state agents,” the statement read.
The coalition said demolitions carried out in Makoko from December 23, 2025, displaced more than 10,000 residents and destroyed over 3,000 homes, with armed operatives and hired thugs allegedly accompanying demolition teams.
They alleged that at least 12 people, including two infants, died during the operation, while several others sustained injuries after tear gas was fired into residential areas and homes were set ablaze.
Among those reportedly killed were 70-year-old Albertine Ojadikluno and five-day-old Epiphany Kpenassou Adingban.
The groups also accused the government of carrying out night-time demolitions in Oworonshoki in October 2025, despite a subsisting court order restraining the state from doing so.
“Homes were demolished around 10pm while residents were asleep. People were beaten, arrested, injured and detained in Ikoyi and Kirikiri prisons,” the statement said.
According to the coalition, demolitions in Ilaje-Otumara and Baba Ijora in March 2025 left over 10,000 people homeless, forcing families to sleep on the streets and exposing children, women and the elderly to hunger, disease and violence.
The organisations accused the Lagos State Government of serial disobedience to court orders, recalling a 2017 Lagos High Court judgment which held that forced evictions without consultation violate residents’ constitutional right to dignity.
They also cited an August 2025 judgment by Justice F.N. Ogazi of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, which restrained the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force from demolitions in Makoko and other waterfront communities and awarded ₦3.5 billion in damages against them.
“The judgment remains unpaid, and demolitions have continued in open contempt of court,” the groups said.
Reacting to Governor Sanwo-Olu’s claim that his administration would provide palliatives to displaced Makoko residents, the coalition rejected the offer, describing it as inadequate and demeaning.
“Victims of state violence do not need handouts. They need justice, restitution and guarantees of non-repetition,” the statement said.
The CSOs demanded an immediate halt to all demolitions, full compliance with court orders, emergency shelter and medical care for displaced persons, compensation for destroyed homes and livelihoods, and independent investigations into all deaths, injuries and alleged killings linked to the demolitions.
They also insisted that officials and security agents found culpable must be prosecuted, not shielded.
“Lagos cannot aspire to global-city status while governing through violence and treating its poorest residents as expendable,” the statement added.
The statement was signed by community leaders and rights activists, including Israel Idowu (Makoko Waterfront), Betty Abah (CEEHOPE), Zikora Ibeh (CAPPA) and Hassan Taiwo Soweto (#EndBadGovernance movement).
Full signatories are - "Israel Idowu - Student Coordinator, Makoko Waterfront community
Comrade Abiodun Ahmed - Chairman, Owode Motor Spare Parts Market
Comrade Tunde Yusuf - Secretary, Ajegunle Peoples Movement (APM)
Olanrewaju Olusegun - Secretary, Coalition of Oworonshoki Demolition Victims
Betty Abah - Founder, Centre for Children's Health Education, Orientation and Protection (CEEHOPE).
Comrade Alex Omotehinse - President, Center for Human and Social Economic Rights (CHSR)
Zikora Ibeh - Assistant Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA)
Prince Iwamitighi R. Irowainu - President, Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide
Opeyemi Adamolekun - Active Citizen
Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto - Member, #EndbadGovernance Movement, Lagos State".