Human rights groups, civil society advocates and online commentators have expressed strong condemnation of the Lagos State Police Command and the Lagos State Government following the arrest of demonstrators and the use of force against residents protesting housing demolitions in several parts of the state on Wednesday, the 28th of January, 2026.
The backlash arose after police officers fired tear gas to break up a large crowd of protesters who had gathered in Ikeja to voice their opposition to what they described as unlawful demolitions carried out without proper compensation or resettlement provisions.
Participants at the protest, drawn from communities including Makoko, Oworonshoki, Owode-Onirin, Oko Baba and other affected areas, marched with placards bearing inscriptions such as: “A megacity cannot be built on the bones and blood of the poor,” “Urban poor is not a crime,” “Stop killing us,” “Justice for Owode-Onirin traders,” and “Lagos is not for the rich alone.” They also sang songs of solidarity as they advanced.
The demonstration kicked off in the early hours and gradually built momentum at the Ikeja Under Bridge, where protesters assembled before heading towards the Lagos State House of Assembly complex at Alausa.
Throughout the protest, demonstrators appealed to the state government to outline concrete relocation plans where demolitions were deemed inevitable, and to compensate families who reportedly lost loved ones during previous demolition exercises.
Upon arrival at the Assembly gate, the protesters were confronted by the Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, who informed them that they would not be allowed entry into the legislative complex.
Protest leaders rejected the directive, insisting on remaining at the location until they were granted access to the Assembly to present their demands directly to lawmakers.
As tensions lingered, some members of the House reportedly came out to address the protesters. This approach was dismissed by the demonstrators, who argued that any meaningful engagement should take place inside the Assembly premises.
Moments later, the situation deteriorated as police officers discharged tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.
The resulting clouds of smoke caused confusion and fear, forcing protesters to scatter in different directions.
Reports indicated that several individuals sustained injuries during the chaos, while journalists covering the protest were also forced to flee for safety.
In defence of the police action, Jimoh, speaking during an interview with News Central Television shared on the station’s verified X handle, claimed the protest infringed on the rights of other road users.
He alleged that the protesters obstructed a major highway, hurled stones at him and subjected him to verbal abuse.
“Peaceful protest is allowed, but when it obstructs a public highway, it becomes dangerous to lives, including those of the protesters themselves,” Jimoh said.
“I cannot allow vehicles to run over protesters under my watch. After four lawmakers addressed them and they still refused to disperse, I warned them to leave the highway. Instead, they pushed my officers, causing them to fall on their rifles.
“We applied minimal force, tear gas, so that millions of Nigerians who use that road could go to work.”
However, activist Ms Yemi Adamolekun, who was present at the protest, challenged the police narrative, maintaining that the demonstration remained peaceful.
She refuted claims that protesters blocked the road or attacked the police commissioner.
“They were calm, and at the point tear gas was fired, they were being asked to sit down so water and snacks could be shared,” she said.
“The police had already cordoned off the lane closest to the Assembly. These people are homeless, where exactly do you expect them to go? The claim that they blocked the road is false.”
Adamolekun further stated that the confrontation could have been avoided if authorities had allowed protesters access to a designated area within the Assembly complex for dialogue.
Also reacting, the President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Debo Adeniran, denounced the use of force against the demonstrators, describing it as a violation of citizens’ constitutional rights.
He argued that peaceful protests should be met with dialogue rather than repression and called for disciplinary measures against officers involved in firing tear gas.
In the same vein, the Lagos State Coordinator of the Take-It-Back Movement, Oluwatosin Adeyemi, criticised the police response in a statement.
“Instead of listening to the legitimate demands of the people, the police responded with tear gas, brutality and arrests,” he said.
“Several protesters were injured, including one of the protest leaders, Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto.
Peaceful protest is not a crime, and the use of force against unarmed residents seeking justice is unacceptable.”
The group also demanded the immediate release of protesters allegedly detained during the demonstration.
Confirming the arrests, Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Adebisi, disclosed that two individuals, Taiwo Hassan and Dele Frank, were taken into custody for conspiracy and actions likely to disturb public peace.
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She echoed the commissioner’s assertion that protesters barricaded the road and stated that the suspects would be arraigned in court.
According to her, “As a result of these unlawful acts by the violent protesters, Taiwo Hassan (male, adult) and Dele Frank (male, adult) were arrested at the scene for conspiracy and conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace, obstruction of traffic flow and unlawfully restraining road users, contrary to the Criminal Law of Lagos State.
“They are currently under investigation and will be charged to court within the time limit prescribed by law. A white Toyota Canta vehicle with registration number Lagos LND 968 YL, fitted with multiple loudspeakers and two generator sets allegedly used to block the highway, was recovered as an exhibit. “A coffin allegedly carried by the protesters to instil fear and disturb public peace was also recovered.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State House of Assembly dismissed claims that it ignored the protesters despite being on recess.
In a statement signed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Stephen Ogundipe, the Assembly said lawmakers made efforts to engage the protesters, but those efforts were rebuffed.
“Four lawmakers were mobilised to engage the protesters in good faith. However, they insisted on forceful entry into the Assembly complex,” the statement said.
The Assembly further alleged that one of the protest leaders verbally abused the police commissioner, accusing him of murder an allegation it described as reckless and without basis.