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By Lukman Olabiyi
A coalition of civil society organisations and community leaders has raised the alarm over what it described as renewed attacks on residents displaced from waterfront communities in Oworonshoki, Lagos, alleging that suspected land grabbers set fire to makeshift shelters occupied by evictees.
The Coalition Against Demolition, Forced Eviction, Land Grabbing and Displacement in Lagos State, in a statement issued on Tuesday, condemned the incident and called on the Lagos State Government and security agencies to intervene urgently.
According to the coalition, the affected residents were among thousands displaced during demolition exercises carried out in waterfront communities, including Precious Seed and Ebute Kekere, between November 2025 and January 2026.
The group alleged that armed men believed to be land grabbers invaded the communities and set ablaze temporary structures erected by displaced residents who remained on the land after the demolitions due to a lack of alternative accommodation.
The coalition said more than 3,000 residents of the Precious Seed waterfront were displaced during a demolition exercise on November 27, 2025, while an estimated 10,000 others were evicted from neighbouring waterfront settlements within the same period.
It further claimed that the latest attacks began in Ebute Kekere on June 8 before spreading to Precious Seed in the early hours of June 9, resulting in the destruction of shelters and personal belongings salvaged from previous demolitions.
“The attacks appear to be part of ongoing efforts by land grabbers to forcefully take possession of the disputed land,” the coalition alleged.
Condemning the development, the group urged authorities to investigate the incident and ensure the protection of vulnerable residents against further attacks.
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“We call on all residents of Lagos State and Nigerians to stand against lawlessness, violent land grabbing and repeated forced evictions of vulnerable communities,” the coalition stated.
The coalition maintained that victims of the demolitions deserve justice, protection and access to adequate housing, warning that continued attacks on displaced residents could worsen an already dire humanitarian situation.
Signatories to the statement include leaders of the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation, representatives of the #EndBadGovernance Movement in Lagos State and Justice & Empowerment Initiatives (JEI).
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Lagos has adjourned until October 28 a fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by activist Hassan Taiwo Soweto against the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, the Police Service Commission (PSC), and former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olorundare Jimoh.
Soweto is challenging the alleged use of force by police officers during a protest held on January 28, 2026, over the demolition of property in Makoko and Oworonshoki by agents of the state government.
In the suit, the activist is seeking declarations that the deployment of teargas to disperse the peaceful assembly and the alleged infliction of a lumbosacral spine injury on him amounted to violations of his constitutional rights to dignity, peaceful assembly and association as guaranteed under Sections 34 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution.
He is also asking the court to declare that the former police commissioner had no legal authority to subject him or any Nigerian citizen to torture or injury while exercising constitutionally guaranteed rights.
Among other reliefs, Soweto is seeking an order directing the IGP and the PSC to subject the former commissioner to training on human rights, democratic policing and international best practices.
The activist is also demanding N70 million in damages for the alleged torture and injuries he sustained during the protest.
