Poor residents of informal communities— Ifesowapo, Ifedapo, and Ifeoluwa—in Ebute Metta, Lagos witnessed another round of forced evictions and mass demolitions on January 14, 2025, leaving hundreds of residents homeless and devastated. Since March 2024, residents of Ifesowapo, Ifedapo, and Ifeoluwa have faced relentless evictions and demolition exercises, with the latest demolition occurring on January 14, 2025. Representatives of state government agencies, accompanied by heavily-armed police forces and local thugs, invaded the community that morning without notice, forcing the residents out of their homes. Spaces for Change | S4C remains at the forefront of the advocacy against forced evictions executed without resettlement, compensation and humanitarian assistance.
For over 30 years, residents of Ifesowapo, Ifedapo, and Ifeoluwa informal communities have been customary tenants of the Oloto Royal Family of Otto. With their customary tenancy not in doubt, officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA) stormed the communities on March 22, 2024, with motorized hydraulic equipment, issuing a mere 30-minute ultimatum before demolishing homes—some of which were also set on fire. This ruthless act displaced hundreds of residents, forcing them into makeshift shelters with no access to basic amenities. Pregnant women, children, and the elderly have since endured harsh weather conditions and significant health risks. The failure of the Lagos State Government to provide a clear legal basis for these demolitions, or to intervene meaningfully, only worsens the humanitarian crisis.
In the wake of the demolitions, S4C and the Communities Alliance Against Displacement (CAD), embarked on a fact-finding mission to uncover the motivations behind the unceasing demolitions in the area. S4C could glean from the discussions with state authorities that the demolition team were acting on the orders of undisclosed influential figures interested in converting the demolished land area into prime real estate. The Lagos State Government’s silence and law enforcement’s passive endorsement of these acts have emboldened perpetrators to continue their operations. This troubling trend underscores a larger systemic failure in addressing housing insecurity and protecting citizens from forced evictions while raising critical concerns about inclusive urban governance and accountability.
Despite constitutional guarantees and international commitments espousing citizens’ rights to an adequate standard of living, many citizens continue to live in precarious conditions due to a lack of affordable housing, ineffective implementation of urban planning frameworks, and weak regulatory enforcement. Instead of prioritizing inclusive development strategies that protect vulnerable communities, evictions are frequently carried out with little regard for human rights, often relying on private entities or informal groups to execute forced displacements. This not only exacerbates homelessness and economic insecurity but also undermines public trust in governance and the rule of law, reinforcing a cycle of marginalization and disenfranchisement.
Spaces for Change strongly urges the Lagos State Government to take proactive steps in ensuring that residents are not left homeless and unprotected. Additionally, we urge international human rights mechanisms, including the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, to intervene and hold those responsible for these violations accountable. The right to shelter is fundamental. Spaces for Change remains committed to ensuring that these communities are not erased in the name of real estate development. Now more than ever, collective action is needed to challenge these injustices and protect the dignity and rights of all affected persons.
