By Chioma Obinagwam
On September 8, 2025, chaos gripped Lagos as hundreds of Oworonshoki residents stormed the Third Mainland Bridge, blocking outbound lanes in a desperate protest against the Lagos State Government’s demolition of their homes.
Confiance News gathered that the action, which began at dawn, caused massive gridlock, stranding motorists and commuters for hours. Protesters, including women, children, and the elderly, waved placards reading “Stop Demolishing Our Lives” and “Give Us Back Our Homes,” chanting for justice, compensation, and an end to the evictions.
The demolitions started in the early hours of September 6, targeting unapproved structures along the Iyana Oworonshoki and Lekki coastal lines. A joint task force, backed by security operatives, razed over 1,000 homes, displacing more than 30,000 people—many of whom claim they received no adequate notice despite a one-month quit order.
Residents accused the government of conducting the operation at 1 a.m., using tear gas on sleeping families, including women and children. “We renovated our homes as ordered, even selling assets to comply, but they demolished everything in the dead of night,” one protester lamented to reporters. The Oworo Youths Forum (OYF) condemned it as a “barbaric act” and “crime against humanity,” alleging it’s part of a two-year land-grab scheme to favor the wealthy.
Confronting Lagos Police Commissioner Olohundare Jimoh on the bridge, demonstrators refused to disperse until bulldozers were withdrawn. Police eventually cleared the road, restoring calm, but not before backlash erupted online.
Urban planning expert Dr. Aisha Bello, a lecturer at the University of Lagos, criticized the approach: “Demolitions without resettlement violate human rights and exacerbate homelessness in a megacity like Lagos. The government must prioritize dialogue and compensation to prevent such unrest.” Human rights activist Towolawi Jamiu of OYF echoed this, tweeting: “Teargasing people including women and children in darkness… is terroristic, evil and heartless.”
On X, reactions poured in. Real estate analyst @Bond_not_james posted: “This midnight demolition in Oworonshoki is a blatant land grab. How do you displace families without alternatives? Lagos govt must compensate now! #OworonshokiDemolition.” Activist @jharmo fumed: “Is this the new Lagos? A city filled with sorrow, tears and blood?” The Take It Back Movement warned: “This injustice will not go unchallenged. #RevolutionNow.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration defended the exercise as necessary for environmental protection against illegal dredging, but suspended it for two weeks amid outrage. As displaced families seek shelter, the incident highlights deepening tensions over urban development in Nigeria’s commercial hub.
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