Lagos Police Command operatives yesterday fired teargas to disperse peaceful protesters seeking access to the state House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja, leaving several people injured and forcing reporters covering the demonstration to flee.
The protesters had converged on the Assembly complex to oppose the demolitions in communities, including Makoko, Owode Onirin, Oworonshoki, Otumara and Baba-Ijora.
But, a coalition of rights organisations has called for the halt to the demolition.
The coalition also called on the state government to comply with court orders and provide emergency shelter, compensation for affected residents.
Residents from the affected areas accused the state government of carrying out the demolitions without adequate consultation, compensation or resettlement plans.
The demonstration began in the morning at the Ikeja Under-Bridge, from where protesters marched toward the Assembly complex on Awolowo Road, carrying placards and banners with inscriptions such as “Justice for Ago Egun,” “Halt the Demolitions, It Is Illegal,” and “Justice for Owode Onirin Traders.”
Tension escalated when protesters insisted on gaining access to a designated podium in the Assembly complex.
The state Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Moshood, who was at the entrance, said officers would not allow the crowd into the premises to “prevent hoodlums from hijacking the demonstration”.
The Assembly, however, denied the allegation of ignoring the protesters.
Witnesses alleged that reporters were targeted during the dispersal, which occurred around 1:15 p.m., despite identifying themselves.
A reporter was allegedly pushed into teargas and shot at close range near the Cool FM stand, while others fled the scene struggling to breathe.
An eyewitness claimed that a police officer had threatened reporters moments before shots were fired.
In a statement, the police spokesperson, Superintendent of Police Abimbola Adebisi, stated that the protesters caused severe disruption to traffic and daily activities as well as breached entrance rules at the Assembly.
The situation reportedly worsened after the protest leader, Hassan Soweto, was seized by a police officer identified only as “Yellow,” following discussions with a senior police official.
Eyewitnesses further alleged that two female lawmakers, whose identities could not be confirmed, instructed the police commissioner to disperse the crowd. Shortly afterward, officers reportedly fired into the gathering, which included women, children and elderly persons.
Organisers of the protest, under the banner of the Coalition Against Demolition, Forced Eviction, Land Grabbing and Displacement, insisted the demonstration was peaceful and posed no threat to public order.
Earlier, Soweto said residents were not opposed to development but condemned demolitions that leave communities homeless without viable alternatives.
Organisers said they had been uncertain about the police response after the state Police Command reportedly rejected their notification of the rally earlier in the week.
The coalition protested to the Assembly where they made their requests known. However, there was no lawmaker available to address them.
The police took charge and dispersed them to avoid breakdown of law and order.
In a statement, the groups accused the government of carrying out demolitions and displacements in communities, including Makoko, Oworonshoki, Owode Onirin, Otumara and Baba-Ijora, without adequate notices, consultations, compensation or resettlement plans.
The statement was signed by Israel Idowu, Student Coordinator, Makoko Waterfront Community; Comrade Abiodun Ahmed, Chairman of 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 (CEE-HOPE); Comrade Alex Omotehinse, President, Centre 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; and Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto, member, #EndBadGovernance Movement.
The organisations alleged that the demolitions affected low-income residents such as fishermen, traders, women, children, the elderly and persons with disabilities, and accused the state of prioritising private development interests over the welfare of vulnerable citizens.
According to the statement, the forced evictions are part of a long-standing pattern, citing previous demolitions in Otodo Gbame (2016–2017), Oworonshoki (2023), Orisunmibare (February 2024), Otto (March 2024) and Oko-Baba (September 2024).The groups recalled that in March 2025, demolitions in Ilaje-Otumara and Baba-Ijora reportedly displaced over 10,000 residents, destroying homes, businesses and places of worship, and leaving many without shelter or livelihoods.
They also alleged that demolitions in Oworonshoki in October, last year were carried out at night, despite a subsisting court injunction restraining the state government and its agencies from proceeding with the exercise, which resulted in the displacement of more than 10,000 people.
On Makoko, the organisations said demolitions began last December 23, affecting over 3,000 homes and displacing more than 10,000 residents, with schools, clinics and places of worship also destroyed.
The state government, according to the statement, justified the demolitions on safety grounds related to proximity to power lines, a claim the groups disputed.
The Assembly, however, denied ignoring protesters.
The state Assembly, which issued a rebuttal, stated that the protesters were unruly and refused dialogue at the Assembly gate, contradicting claims they were ignored.
The Assembly says it was on recess, but members engaged protesters, who insisted on entering the premises despite security protocols.
The statement signed by Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, also denied that the lawmakers sanctioned teargas or arrests, attributing security actions to police efforts to maintain order.
