The Lagos State Police Command said it will charge two leaders of a protest on Wednesday, despite the reported largely peaceful conduct of the protest.
It was rather the police that, without any provocation from the assembly, attacked protesters and journalists covering the event with gunfire leaving many injured.
PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier on Wednesday that members of civil society groups joined residents of Lagos waterfront communities, including Makoko, Owode Onirin and Oworonshoki, to protest ongoing demolition exercises by the state government.
In a statement posted on X, the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Adebisi, said the protesters blocked Awolowo Way in front of the Lagos State House of Assembly for over six hours, causing “disturbance of public peace, distortion of law and order, and preventing the general public from use and passage to earn their means of livelihood and other medical emergencies.”
The police described the demonstrators as “violent,” alleging they carried a coffin and used a vehicle with loudspeakers to intimidate the public.
“The arrowhead, one Taiwo Hassan, nicknamed ‘Soweto,’ ordered the protesters to sit on the public highway, preventing road users from reaching their destinations,” the statement read.
Police said they used “minimum force” to disperse the crowd with teargas and reopened the road, claiming no injuries were recorded.
The statement stated that Mr Soweto and Dele Frank, were arrested for alleged conspiracy, inciting public disorder, threatening violence, and obstructing traffic.
The statement noted that a Toyota Canta vehicle and a coffin used during the protest were recovered.
However, civil society observers described the protest as peaceful and said police deliberately targeted both protesters and journalists.
The command defended its actions as necessary to “protect lives and property” and warned that protests must not disrupt daily activities.
The statement explained that investigations into the alleged roles of the arrested leaders are ongoing at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, ahead of potential court charges.
Civil society condemns police actions
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) condemned what it called “violent, unlawful, and deeply reprehensible” actions by the Lagos State Government and Nigerian Police Force.
In a statement issued Wednesday, CAPPA said hundreds of displaced residents, including elderly men and women, were attacked while attempting to present grievances over ongoing demolitions and forced evictions.
The organisation said Mr Soweto, Jacob Akiri, and Isaac Doosuga, a septuagenarian from Makoko, were forcibly seized after the Commissioner of Police ordered the use of tear gas on the crowd.
CAPPA described the incident as a “flagrant violation of constitutional rights” and said police fired tear gas directly at unarmed protesters, causing injuries and panic.
A journalist covering the protest, Oluwaferanmi Oladipupo of Daily Family, and medical professional Jennifer Rita Obiora were reportedly hospitalised after tear gas exposure.
Several protesters also reported the seizure of personal belongings, work tools, and vehicles.
CAPPA disputed claims by the Lagos State House of Assembly that Mr Soweto’s conduct escalated the situation, saying video evidence shows he repeatedly urged protesters to remain peaceful.
The organisation called for the immediate release of all detained protesters, the return of seized property, suspension of Commissioner of Police Moshood Jimoh, and an end to demolition operations across Lagos.
PREMIUM TIMES observed that residents from Makoko, Owode-Onirin Spare Parts Market, Oworonshoki, Bariga, Ajegunle, and other communities marched peacefully from Ikeja Underbridge to the Assembly, carrying placards reading “Save Our Souls” and “Stop the Killings, Stop Demolition of Our Homes.”
Journalists were reportedly pushed into teargas and fired upon at close range. One police officer was overheard saying, “We don’t like journalists. Join them now or I’ll shoot you.”
Eyewitnesses said Commissioner of Police Moshood Jimoh was seen conferring with two female lawmakers shortly before officers advanced.
Senior officers allegedly targeted Mr Soweto for arrest while he addressed seated protesters. Several protesters, including elderly residents, sustained injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals.
Ayoyinka Oni of the Coalition Against Demolition, Forced Eviction, Land Grabbing, and Displacement described it as “brutality by the police,” while Babatunde Yusuf of the Ajegunle Peoples Movement called it “excessive,” particularly against elderly protesters.
Ibrahim Oluwatoba of Voice of the Masses likened the incident to military-era tactics. Alex Omotenishi of the Centre for Human and Social Economic Rights confirmed police blocked protesters from accessing the Assembly podium and forcibly separated Soweto from the group.
The Lagos State Government had defended the ongoing demolitions.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy Gbenga Omotoso said buildings along waterways and under high-tension power lines pose serious safety risks.
Civil society groups, however, argue that demolitions are anti-poor and carried out without consultation, compensation, or resettlement.
The coalition described Wednesday’s events as a “horrific encounter” and urged the government to halt forced evictions and engage affected communities lawfully.
