It is a season of demolitions in the nation’s commercial nerve centre and the Lagos State government has made known its resolve to remove illegal structures that do not distort its built environment.
As the pendulum swung to Oworonshoki, Kosofe local government area, the residents who have been recounting their ordeals in the demolition exercise have accused the Lagos State Government, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), and the community’s monarch, Oba Babatunde Saliu, of colluding in what they describe as a “midnight demolition spree” that has rendered thousands homeless.
The residents also alleged that the demolitions are part of a wider land-grabbing sleaze designed to push low-income citizens out of the community and make way for elite property developments.
With the proximity to Lagos Island and Third mainland bridge, Residents of Oworonshoki community in Lagos faulted the demolition spree on residential structures and Lagos system land grabbing sleaze even as they told LEADERSHIP Weekend that government plans to drive away low class citizens from every prospective neighborhood to build elite property on the demolished site.
On Friday Night September 6th, 2025, residents in Oworonshoki, a working class community at the Lagos end of the Third Mainland Bridge had gone to bed like every other neighborhood in Lagos, by midnight, many no longer had roofs over their heads, Bulldozers had come under the cover of darkness, accompanied by armed escorts pulling down structures, houses and shops of a place where memories had been made for decades. They watched helplessly as homes they built in the 1970s and 80s crumbled.
For residents, the demolition was not about structures, it was about betrayal and erasure of a community that had existed long before Lagos became a megacity.
Midnight Demolition and Protest that Followed
The demolition sparked anger that spilled over the streets. On Monday 8th September, 2025, there was heightened tension in Oworonshoki area as residents and aggrieved occupants of demolished properties trooped to the streets to block major entry routes leading into the Third mainland bridge and Lagos Island axis of Lagos as they staged protest and barricaded major roads.
The aggrieved occupants accused the Lagos State Government, officials of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA)and the traditional system of the Oworonshoki community for betraying the residents trust with midnight demolitions.
Placards bore inscriptions like “We are Lagosians too”, “Stop land grabbing”, and “Where is our Oba?”. Children sat on the road while their parents shouted at passing cars. Some motorists joined in the chants, sympathizing with those they saw as victims of a government that values land more than people.
The protest caused massive gridlock on one of the busiest work days leaving motorists stranded for hours with several motorists trying to navigate through the detours, traffic delay and man-hour lost.
The protesting residents demonstrated their displeasure over the demolition of houses carried out by the Lagos State Government in collusion with LABSCA who carried out a midnight demolition on their properties that rendered thousands of families homeless as many could not salvage their belongings.
With emotions still running high, residents insist that they would not back down until government officials address their plights and provide full compensation for their losses.
The residents further claimed that they have been abandoned by their LCDAs and elected representatives leaving many families in a forlorn and depressed state.
Accusation of Collusion
The residents of Oworonshoki are accusing the traditional ruler, Oba Babatunde Saliu, of colluding with elite interests to deceive them. They recounted their visit to the Palace of the Monarch, where he advised them to renovate their houses to modern fittings and standard while citing the areas proximity to the Lagos Mainland bridge.
The controversy started when residents were advised by the Monarch to upgrade their homes to modern standards.
Many residents followed this advice by investing in renovations, repainting, fixing structures, and improving sanitation, thinking they were following the rules.
However, shortly after making these improvements, their homes were unexpectedly bulldozed. Some residents believe that the demolitions were actually motivated by elite interests looking to redevelop the area, especially due to its proximity to the Third Mainland Bridge.
This suspicion is fueled by the fact that residents had been paying allocation fees, ground rents, and council taxes for years, only to be suddenly labeled as illegal occupants.
One resident expressed frustration by pointing out that they had been paying these fees to government agents who were now destroying everything, suggesting that someone was benefiting from this situation.
This has led to a feeling of distrust among residents, with many believing that there is “land grabbing in official clothes” happening in their community.
Oworonshoki Residents are aggrieved that they were encouraged to invest in their homes, only to have them demolished shortly after. This has caused a lot of distrust and suspicion among the community.
Several eyewitness accounts who spoke to Leadership said the protest caused palpable fears and tensions in the state as traffic was stretched for several kilometers as security operatives tried to disperse the angry crowd.
One of the residents who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend on condition of anonymity narrated his painful ordeals of how they stampeded homes at midnight to forcefully eject them from their homes.
Speaking out in anger, he said: “They came at midnight to destroy our homes without warning. Families have been thrown out, and yet no one is talking about compensation. This is the height of injustice.”
He said the protest fueled public outrage as they were left to occupy the streets and barricade adjourning roads linking to the island and mainland, with many Lagosians criticizing the government’s timing and approach, especially amid harsh economic realities.
The resident blamed the government for rendering them homeless without prior notice or compensation while demanding justices for the destruction of their homes and businesses.
Resident Faults LABSCA, Blames LCDA Chairman
The resident equally accused the Chairman of Kosofe LCDA, Hon. Moyosore Ogunlewe for colluding with officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA) in the demolition of houses despite earlier assurances that building approvals would be granted.
One of the affected residents alleged that the exercise, which took place under the cover of the night, was part of a land-grabbing scheme that left hundreds and thousands of families homeless.
Earlier, the resident claimed that property owners were directed to submit photocopies of their land and building documents for regularisation. Some, she said, complied even though they already held Certificates of Occupancy.
However, when they approached LABSCA’s General Manager, Mr. Abdul Ganiyu Oki, about abatement notices pasted on their buildings, he reportedly denied knowledge of the action and contacted the number on the notices in their presence.
According to her, the person who answered the call eventually admitted that the directives came from the Monarch. Following this, Oki is said to have advised the residents to approach the traditional ruler directly.
After days of visitation to the Palace, the residents were granted an audience with the monarch, who allegedly told them he did not want bribes but insisted that they upgrade their houses to modern standards.
In desperation to meet the demand, they started renovating their homes to meet the required standard only for them to stampede them at midnight.
She said on Friday, the 6th of September, around midnight going into Saturday, I got a call: ‘They’ve started demolishing.’
By the time I rushed out, they had already pulled down up to the fourth house. Families were still inside their homes, and many could not salvage their properties,” she said.
She further alleged that due process was ignored, noting that the law requires at least three stages of notice seven days, three days, and 24 hours before such an action can be carried out.
“What hurts most is the injustice. They never mentioned demolition when we were told to submit our documents for approval. Instead, we believed we were working in good faith with the authorities,” she added.
The Government’s Defense
Officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the Ministry of Physical Planning argue differently. Permanent Secretary Gbolahan Oki told journalists that due process was followed: “We don’t just demolish houses.
For three years, we have been engaging residents, advising them to regularise their buildings. The amnesty programme that ran from May to December 2024 gave them a chance. But many ignored it. Some of these houses were dilapidated and dangerous. Just painting them cannot make them safe.”
He added that criminal gangs who operate on the Third Mainland Bridge often hide in nearby shanties, making demolition necessary for security.
Yet residents insist they never received the statutory notices, seven days, three days, then 24 hours, before demolition. To them, the government’s explanation is a cover for injustice.
“We don’t just go to demolish; due process was followed. The buildings demolished were dilapidated and cracked, they just painted them. People also complained that those who rob on the Third Mainland Bridge run back to the shanties,” he said.
Resident Worse off with Stories of Loss
Standing by the rubble of what used to be her family’s two-bedroom home, an accountant who lives in the Ojileru part of Oworonshoki recounted her shock. She said they got no warning whatsoever, except for a seal-off notice we saw in April.
They came around midnight, armed, and started pulling buildings down. Families were still inside; one woman had just given birth and was with her baby.
People’s belongings were buried in the dust.” Her account is one of many. Several others lamented that they had submitted all the required documents, including Certificates of Occupancy, but were still affected.
Another displaced resident said bitterly: “We were told to bring our land documents for regularization. Some of us complied, even those who already had C of O. They still demolished our houses. What is the meaning of due process if you follow instructions and still lose everything?”
Speaking on behalf of the community, Segun Karounwi lamented that the demolition exercise had crippled families and rendered thousands of people homeless and stranded to the point of leaving more than 10,000 households economically displaced and uprooted from their ancestral base.
Karounwi stressed that the living condition of people is worse off while calling on the government to provide cheap and affordable housing that will keep the citizens alive to face the hurdles of life.
Speaking to our correspondent, he alluded that despite repeated complaints and appeals, the situation remains unresolved, forcing many to endure unbearable living conditions or relocate.
He decried their paralyzed social and economic condition as residents have been abandoned by their respective LCDA Chairman and elected representatives.
“People are struggling under the current economic realities. Businesses are shutting down because most shop owners cannot restock and most families cannot afford food to eat now they’re leaving us homeless.
He further appealed to relevant authorities and stakeholders to follow up on the Oworonshoki story and bring updates on possible interventions from government authorities or stakeholders.
One of the affected traders who spoke to LEADERSHIP Weekend said they had consistently paid allocation fees to council task force agents for years only for the government to suddenly uproot our families, business and livelihoods citing that we are illegal occupants.
“We did not just wake up and claim settlements here, we paid for our spot, paid ground rents, paid council task, paid all the Lagos taxes and now we can no longer find our way home to our houses, our houses have been demolished, our businesses have been grinded completely and our livelihoods have been kept on hold amid biting economic hardships in the country.
Displaced Resident Demand Compensation
The displaced residents are clear about their demands: Compensation for destroyed houses, businesses, and belongings. Transparency in demolition procedures, with proper notices served and explanations given.
The resident association also demanded Accountability for community leaders who misled residents into spending on renovations before demolitions and affordable housing to ensure that displacement does not mean homelessness.
As one protester put it: “We don’t ask for luxury. We just want a place to lay our heads without fear that bulldozers will come again at midnight.”
Another resident, Femi Oyawale demanded compensation for the victims stating that the issue is not just about permits and regularising of building approvals adding that when you demolish people’s houses. What are the alternatives for the thousands of residents displaced? We are also Lagos residents and deserve a decent living, but where are the affordable houses?
one of the leaders of the protest, Segun Ajayi said the demolition notice “is an illegal one.”
He further queried the decision to evict people who had occupied the Oworonshoki area for decades, “on the excuse that they don’t have a building permit.”
Continuing he said, over 80 per cent of the buildings in Lekki don’t have permits, over 60 per cent of the buildings in the country don’t have building permits. Is the government going to take them down because of that? A community that the government abandoned and refused to develop, now that it has shown prospects, some elites have interests and desire to turn the place into an elite villa. You now want to drive low-class people out of their properties so you can pave the way for the elite who want to make money.”
A Motorist named Fatai Balogun also stressed the level of damage caused on families, businesses and livelihoods even as he highlighted the severity of damage caused by the demolition of properties.
He said the demolition has caused business dislocation in Oworonshoki axis, many traders have lost their source of income and business can no longer survive long-term. For business owners, they would need to start looking for markets to sell their products as they have.
Wider Implication for Lagos
The demolition of homes in Oworonshoki is part of a bigger trend in Lagos where urban renewal projects are meant to displace poor residents without providing them with proper resettlement options.
This is not just happening in Oworonshoki, but also in other areas like Makoko and Badia.
Urban planners argued that these demolitions are necessary for Lagos to modernize and develop, but human rights advocates believe that displacing people without offering them alternative housing options is a violation of their dignity and international housing rights.
This raises the question of who Lagos really belongs to – the wealthy investors who are driving these development projects or the ordinary people who have lived in the city and helped build it. If the issue in Oworonshoki is not addressed properly, it could lead to further tensions and debates about the rights of the city’s residents.
However, the demolition of homes in Oworonshoki is just one example of a larger problem in Lagos where poor residents are being forced out of their homes to make way for development projects that do not benefit them.
This is causing a conflict between urban planners who believe in modernizing the city and human rights advocates who argue for the rights of the people being displaced.
In conclusion, the Oworonshoki demolitions are not just about demolished houses, they are about broken trust between citizens and their government. Families who thought they were regularizing their homes now sleep in the open. Traders who paid taxes cannot find their shops. Children who did homework in those houses now do not know where they will sleep tomorrow.
The Lagos State Government insists it followed due process. The residents insist they were betrayed. Between these two narratives lies the truth, and in the middle are ordinary people, the true casualties of an unending war between urban planning and human dignity.
Until justice and compassion are brought into the process, the cry from Oworonshoki will remain: “We are Lagosians too. Don’t treat us as strangers in our own home.”
