Group urges halt to demolition in Lagos
Lagos State Police Command will examine the circumstances behind the alleged dying of an toddler and a pre-schooler within the Oworonshoki space of Lagos State.
Officers of Lagos Police Command had been reportedly deployed to the Coker and Ojulari areas of Oworonshoki at midnight on Saturday, October 25, 2025 – hours after the state authorities introduced that it had compensated about 80 property house owners on Friday, October 24 – and fired teargas canisters whereas offering cowl to officers of the Lagos State Constructing Management Company (LASBCA).
Residents alleged {that a} girl, who gave beginning on that fateful day, misplaced her youngster, whereas the pre-schooler died after inhaling the gasoline.
The Police Public relations Officer (PPRO), Abimbola Adebisi, stated: “The command just isn’t conscious of such, however we’ll examine and revert. Thanks for the information.”
In the meantime, the Youth Rights Marketing campaign (YRC), yesterday, requested the state authorities to right away halt the demolition of homes within the Oworonshoki, Ajegunle and Makoko areas of the state.
It stated the federal government acted on a subsisting court docket order granted on October 23, 2025, by Justice A.G. Balogun of the Excessive Courtroom of Lagos in Ikeja, restraining the state authorities, the Commissioner for Bodily Planning and City Growth and LASBCA from additional demolishing buildings inside Itesiwaju Ajumoni Neighborhood Growth Space, Oworonshoki.
It stated the demolitions had been a transparent contempt of the court docket and disrespect for the judiciary by a authorities that must be upholding the legislation and setting a constructive instance for residents.
Nationwide Coordinator, YRC, Adaramoye Michael “Lenin”, stated: “Shelter is a human proper. We hereby name for a halt to additional demolition and respect for the best of Oworonshoki residents to shelter
“The Lagos State authorities has a historic antecedent of demolishing homes of the poor and grabbing their lands for the wealthy. In 1990, Maroko, a slum group that housed over 300,000 Lagosians, was demolished by the Lagos authorities, making it the most important forceful eviction in Nigeria. The then regime of Raji Rasaki claimed Maroko was under sea stage and wanted to be sand-filled; nevertheless, the excuse was a false pretence to seize the land of the poor for the wealthy.”
YRC criticised the Commissioner of Police for leaving his males to align with thugs to assault residents and asking residents of Oworonshoki to not protest.
The group added: “The CP, in a bid to justify the actions of his males, referred to these dwelling in Oworonshoki as criminals. That is unprofessional and despicable policing from a senior police officer. The police led assaults towards the residents and unleashed havoc on harmless residents they need to be defending.
“It’s our stern perception that by rendering 1000’s, majority of them kids and younger adults, homeless, Lagos is exposing them to hardship and horrible situations that may make folks flip to crime or turn into victims of crime. To be clear, the rising price of crime in Lagos is partly a product of the poverty and homelessness which has been the destiny of 1000’s. A severe authorities must be addressing this underlying reason behind crime as a substitute of compounding an already dangerous scenario.”
