By Micah Jonah
January 29, 2026
Nigerian police used tear gas on Wednesday to disperse residents protesting ongoing demolition activities in the Makoko waterfront community in Lagos, with one protester reported to have been injured during the incident.
State officials, supported by armed police and excavation equipment, have been pulling down homes in the area, stating that the buildings were constructed illegally near high voltage power lines. Many of the houses are wooden structures built on stilts above the water.
Angry residents and displaced families marched in large numbers to the Lagos State House of Assembly to express their frustration over the demolitions and demand government intervention.
Police ordered the protesters to disperse, but the crowd refused and insisted on seeing the state governor, whose office is located close to the assembly complex.
Security officers later released tear gas to clear the area. One person reportedly suffered a leg injury and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A protester who identified himself as Yawo Gburo said many residents had lost their homes and livelihoods, adding that the injured person left home peacefully and ended up in the hospital.
As of the time of reporting, Lagos police authorities had not issued an official statement on the incident.
Makoko began over a century ago as a fishing settlement and is now home to thousands of low income residents. Estimates from nonprofit organizations place the population between eighty thousand and two hundred thousand people.
Lagos, Africa’s most populous city, continues to face serious housing shortages, which have contributed to the spread of informal settlements across the state.
