Tear Gas and Tension as Makoko Residents Protest Demolitions

Officers of the Nigerian police fired tear gas on Wednesday to disperse protesters in Lagos demonstrating against the demolition of homes in the Makoko waterfront community, leaving at least one person injured and reigniting concerns over the handling of urban development and public dissent in the country’s commercial capital.

The protest, which drew hundreds of residents affected by the demolitions, took place near the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja. Demonstrators had marched to the complex to demand an end to the clearance of homes in Makoko, a densely populated informal settlement built on stilts over the Lagos lagoon, and to seek clarity on resettlement plans.

According to witnesses, the protesters refused police orders to disperse, insisting on being addressed by state officials. Police later deployed tear gas to break up the gathering, forcing residents, traders, and commuters in the area to flee. One protester was reported injured during the dispersal and was taken to hospital.

The demolitions, carried out with the backing of armed security personnel, have displaced thousands of residents in recent weeks. Lagos State authorities have defended the exercise, citing safety concerns and the illegal siting of homes near high-voltage power infrastructure. Community members, however, say they were neither adequately consulted nor provided with concrete relocation or compensation plans.

The Makoko clearance forms part of a broader pattern of demolition exercises across parts of Lagos, as the state government intensifies efforts to enforce urban planning regulations in riverine and informal communities. Similar operations have been reported in neighbouring waterfront settlements, heightening anxiety among residents who fear further evictions.

Police authorities have maintained that force was used solely to prevent the protest from escalating and denied reports that live ammunition was fired. They said the deployment of tear gas was aimed at maintaining public order.

The incident has attracted renewed attention to the fraught relationship between the Lagos State government and residents of informal settlements, many of whom have lived in these communities for decades without formal recognition. Critics argue that while urban renewal remains a legitimate policy objective, the absence of transparent communication and inclusive planning has repeatedly left vulnerable populations bearing the cost.

As displaced residents continue to seek answers, the confrontation underscores a familiar tension in Nigeria’s largest city: the pursuit of development on one hand, and the persistent feeling among affected citizens that decisions shaping their lives are made without their participation or even their knowledge.