Residents of Mile 12 Central in the Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State have protested the demolition of over 200 houses in their community, alleging that the exercise was carried out without prior notice.
The protesters, who stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly on Wednesday, appealed to the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, to intervene and halt the demolition, which they said began on Monday.
Speaking on behalf of the residents, the Chairman of the Council Development Area, Tunde Ogundele, said the exercise was being carried out by officials of the task force and Lagos State Building Control Agency, who invaded the community and pulled down houses without any notice.
He said, “Task force officials and LASBCA officials invaded our community on Monday without any notice. They have demolished more than 200 houses, and they are still demolishing them. We had a meeting with our representatives and decided to come here to seek help.
“We heard from a source that they want to destroy the houses to build estates. The owners of these houses bought their land 50 to 60 years ago. We want the government to come to our rescue. We are law-abiding people, and we want to sit with them to know the way forward.”
A 72-year-old homeowner, Ganiyu Abdul, said he had lived in the area for more than 40 years and was devastated by the development.
According to him, his sister’s house in the community had already been demolished.
“They did not tell us the reason they are demolishing our houses. I have a house here, and my sister also has one. As I speak to you, they have demolished my sister’s house, and they are coming to destroy mine because the exercise is still ongoing,” he said.
The protesters displayed placards bearing inscriptions such as “Say no to illegal demolition in Mile 1 community”, “Sanwo-Olu, save our community”, and “We are homeless; stop the demolition.”
They also said that the demolition had resulted in medical emergencies among residents.
Another resident, Sharon Fagbemi, said no government agency had taken responsibility for the demolition since it commenced.
“On Monday, we saw task force officials and officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency. They came with caterpillars and started destroying houses. We went to the Ministry of Physical Planning, and they denied knowledge of the development,” she said.
“When we asked the official leading them, he said they were acting on directives and that even if the governor intervened, they would not stop until whoever gave the order asked them to stop. Up till now, the demolition is still ongoing.
“Should we wait till they render all of us homeless? A woman over 90 years old went into a coma yesterday. Some people have been hospitalised, and others are paralysed,” Fagbemi added.
Addressing the protesters, the lawmaker representing Oshodi/Isolo Constituency, Steven Ogundipe, promised to intervene in the matter.
Ogundipe, who said he was representing the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, assured the residents that the House would demand accountability from the agencies involved.
“We always insist that due process must be followed. From what we have heard, you were not notified, and that is unacceptable,” he said.
“We are going to invite those responsible to come and present the documents that prompted the demolition. Even if they are shanties, there must be dialogue before any demolition. That is what this government encourages.
“I will relay your message to the Speaker, and he will call those he needs to call on this matter,” Ogundipe added.
Forced demolitions have remained a recurring source of tension between residents and government agencies in Lagos, particularly in densely populated communities with long-standing land settlements.
Recall it was reported in September how residents of Oworonshoki trooped out to protest the demolition that rocked the community.
