Police officers deployed to manage the ongoing protest against widespread demolitions in Lagos State on Wednesday fired tear gas at demonstrators gathered at the State House of Assembly complex in Ikeja.
The protesters had converged on the assembly premises to call for an immediate stop to forced evictions and the destruction of residential buildings in several communities across the state.
During the protest, some participants displayed photographs showing demolished homes and displaced families, while others carried images of children and elderly residents reportedly affected by the exercise.
As they marched around the complex, the demonstrators chanted slogans such as “No Justice, No Peace,” “Makoko Is Not a Slum,” and “Consult the People,” urging Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to suspend further demolitions and open dialogue with affected communities.
Addressing journalists at the venue, human rights activists condemned the demolitions, describing them as cruel and a violation of court orders that had restrained forced evictions in certain waterfront areas.
The situation escalated when police fired tear gas, causing panic and forcing protesters, residents, traders, and commuters to run in different directions to avoid the fumes.
The chaos disrupted movement around the assembly complex as people struggled to find safety. Although security personnel remained on ground, the protest was eventually dispersed.
See video below.
