Over 1,000 homeowners, business owners, and community leaders in Igbo Efon and surrounding areas along the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway have raised concerns with the Federal Government after their properties were newly marked for demolition.
The markings were carried out following a directive from the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation, requiring property occupants to vacate within a strict 150-meter line from the high-water mark, or face demolition. The affected residents accused authorities of violating their constitutional rights under the pretext of international law.
The Coalition of Project-Affected Persons (PAPs), led by Mr. Tolu Ademiluyi, urged the Federal Government to suspend enforcement of the 150-meter setback until a judicial review and public consultation are carried out. Ademiluyi emphasized that the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) does not permit retroactive evictions.
In a statement titled “Our Homes, Our Rights: Rejecting Retroactive Eviction Under the Guise of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the affected persons explained that they have legally built homes, businesses, schools, and places of worship over the past 30 years, with permits from Lagos State Planning Authorities and without objection.
“Without due process, compensation, or scientific justification specific to our locations, we are being ordered to vacate within a rigid 150-meter line from the high-water mark or face demolition. This is a misrepresentation of UNCLOS and a violation of Nigerian law,” Ademiluyi said. “UNCLOS, which Nigeria ratified in 1982, regulates maritime boundaries, navigation, resource rights, and marine protection. Nowhere does it mandate a 150-meter coastal setback, demolition of existing structures, or retroactive eviction of lawful occupants.”
Their Legal Adviser, Mr. Sola Enitan, demanded an immediate halt to all demolitions and acquisitions along the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway that do not comply with statutory and constitutional requirements. He called for full transparency in acquisition instruments, gazette notices, and property valuations.
“No formal notices have been served to many affected residents. There has been no official publication in the Gazette, no transparent valuation, and no opportunity for residents to contest or lodge claims. Compensation has not been paid before demolitions,” Enitan said. “Instead, residents have faced coercion, armed evictions, and fear. This is a breach of Sections 43 and 44 of the Constitution, the Land Use Act, and established judicial standards.”
Hon. Noheem Babatunde Adams, Lagos House of Assembly member for the area, urged residents to engage with authorities to chart a path forward, while acknowledging that Coastal Road plans predate some estates in the corridor.
Ademiluyi and the PAPs are demanding the Federal Government establish a transparent compensation and resettlement framework and engage independent experts for site-specific risk assessments rather than applying a uniform coastal buffer.
“We support environmental protection, but eco-authoritarianism cannot replace human rights,” Ademiluyi said. “We are ready to defend our homes in courts, in the streets, and in public opinion. Let Nigeria choose justice over haste and law over fiat. UNCLOS calls for protecting marine environments, but this must be done in line with national law, due process, and human rights.”
