Lagos Demolitions: CAPPA Condemns Police Crackdown, Demands Suspension of CP
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has strongly condemned what it described as a violent and unlawful crackdown by the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Police Force on displaced residents protesting demolitions and forced evictions across parts of the state.
The condemnation followed an incident on Wednesday at the Lagos State House of Assembly, where hundreds of affected residents and civil society activists had gathered peacefully to demand legislative intervention over ongoing demolitions in waterfront and low-income communities. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
In a statement issued after the incident, CAPPA alleged that security operatives led by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Moshood, dispersed the protesters using tear gas and force, despite the demonstration being peaceful.
The organisation said the protesters—many of whom had lost their homes and livelihoods—had marched from Ikeja Under-Bridge to the Assembly complex to formally present their grievances to lawmakers.
According to CAPPA, the situation escalated after protesters were denied access to the Assembly premises and the amphitheatre, a civic space meant for public engagement.
CAPPA demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto, a member of the #EndBadGovernance Movement in Lagos, alongside other demonstrators arrested during the protest.
The organisation alleged that Soweto, alongside Comrade Jacob Akiri and Evangelist Isaac Doosuga, a septuagenarian resident of Makoko, was forcibly arrested after police officers deployed tear gas on the crowd.
It further reported that several protesters and journalists sustained injuries during the operation. Among them was Kafayat Muftaudeen, who was reportedly hit on the leg by a tear gas canister and remains hospitalised, as well as Oluwaferanmi Oladipupo, a journalist with Daily Family, who was placed on oxygen following tear gas exposure.
CAPPA also mentioned Jennifer Rita Obiora, a medical professional and member of the #EndBadGovernance Lagos chapter, who was allegedly assaulted and rushed to the hospital.
The organisation described the incident as a gross violation of constitutional rights, accusing the Lagos State Government of sustaining a pattern of repression against poor and displaced communities.
CAPPA further alleged that demolition-related operations across the state had resulted in the deaths of at least 12 persons in Makoko, including a five-day-old infant, alongside casualties reported in other affected communities.
Responding to claims that the protest turned violent due to alleged unruly behaviour by Soweto, CAPPA dismissed the assertion as false and misleading, insisting that video evidence showed Soweto repeatedly urging protesters to remain calm and peaceful.
The organisation claimed that the Commissioner of Police deliberately targeted Soweto and ordered his arrest after he criticised police conduct during demolition exercises.
Quoting its Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA said the rights to peaceful protest, association, and expression are guaranteed under Nigeria’s Constitution and international human rights laws.
CAPPA demanded:
The immediate suspension of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police
The release of all detained protesters
The return of seized personal belongings and work tools
The suspension of all demolition and forced eviction exercises in Lagos
Independent investigations into alleged killings in Makoko, Owode, Oworonshoki, and other communities
The organisation also urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to engage affected communities in good faith rather than enabling what it described as state violence.
CAPPA warned that it would mobilise civil society groups and affected communities if its demands were ignored.
As of the time of filing this report, the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Police Force have not issued an official response to the allegations.