LAGOS, Nigeria 

Nigerian police fired live bullets and tear gas shells on Wednesday to prevent demonstrators from entering the parliament building in Lagos to demonstrate against the eviction and demolition of people's homes by state authorities in several slum areas, with eyewitnesses reporting at least 17 injuries and several arrests.

The rights organization Coalition Against Demolition, Forced Eviction, Land Grabbing, and Displacement organized the protest, which began around 7.00 am local time at Ikeja Underbridge in Lagos.

Residents from the poor neighborhoods of Makoko, Owode Onirin, Oworonshoki, Otumara, Baba-Ijora, and Ajegunle, where state authorities have already demolished their slum houses, marched in protest, carrying placards with inscriptions such as "Halt the Demolitions, It Is Illegal" and "Justice for Owode Onirin Traders."

Protesters claimed the demolitions were carried out without adequate consultation, compensation, or resettlement, displacing thousands of residents. Organizers insisted that the demonstration remained peaceful throughout.

Tension escalated when protesters arrived at the entrance to the Lagos State House of Assembly complex in Alausa, where police officers barricaded the gate with patrol vehicles. Moshood Jimoh, the Lagos State commissioner of Police, was present and stated that protesters would not be allowed into the complex to prevent "hoodlums" from hijacking the protest.

Protest leader and activist Hassan Soweto challenged the decision, pointing out that members of the Nigeria Labour Congress were granted access to the complex during a protest on December 17, 2025.

After several minutes of argument, three members of the Lagos State House of Assembly appeared to address the crowd, but they were booed by protesters who insisted on entering the building. The lawmakers later withdrew amid rising tensions.

Minutes after the lawmakers had left, police officers fired tear gas canisters into the crowd, forcing protesters to flee. Despite identifying as journalists, reporters covering the protest were also affected by the tear gas.

Tunde Okeowo, a reporter for local media, told Anadolu that he was pushed into tear gas and shot at close range while standing with other journalists.

Police reportedly fired live rounds into the air and chased protesters, including women, children, and the elderly. Some demonstrators were arrested, and several others were injured. Eyewitnesses say at least 17 people have been taken to the hospital for treatment.

In recent months, Lagos has seen a slew of demolitions, particularly along the waterfront and in informal settlements populated primarily by fishermen.

In Dec. 2025, the state government began demolishing structures in Makoko, a community on the Lagos lagoon. Residents accused the government of violating an agreement that restricted demolitions to buildings within a 30-meter radius of high-tension power lines.

On Jan. 22, the coalition reported that at least 12 people had been killed and thousands displaced as a result of demolitions in Makoko, Owode Onirin, Oworonshoki, Otumara, and Baba-Ijora.

Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has criticized the Lagos State Government for allegedly ignoring court orders prohibiting forced evictions. He cited a 2017 Lagos State High Court decision declaring forced evictions illegal, as well as a Federal High Court order issued in August 2025 prohibiting demolitions in several waterfront communities.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has defended the demolitions as necessary to protect lives, infrastructure, and the environment, claiming that buildings near waterways and power lines pose serious safety hazards.