Voices rose above the lagoon on Monday as Makoko residents staged an emotional reception for members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who arrived to investigate reports of forced evictions and demolitions across the waterfront settlement.
Children, students, and community members lined the waterways as the lawmakers’ boats approached, calling for urgent government intervention. Members of the Makoko Gunuvi Students Association led the welcome, singing the national anthem and holding placards while chanting, “Our community is our home, help us protect it,” a plea that captured the anxiety gripping the area.
The legislative visit, carried out by the House Committee on Rules and Business, came after repeated appeals from residents of Makoko, Oko Agbon, and Sogunro, where demolitions have reportedly displaced tens of thousands and left families scrambling for shelter.
At the heart of the dispute is a high-voltage electricity line that cuts through the waterfront. Authorities argue that buildings beneath the cables pose a serious safety risk and must be removed. Community members, however, insist that demolition teams exceeded the agreed safety buffer of 100 meters, claiming that homes as far as 522 meters away were destroyed.
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Speaking during the inspection, the Baale of Oko Agbon, Chief Emmanuel Shemede, painted a grim picture of life after the demolitions. “Many people are now homeless; they are sleeping in their canoes, both children and women. The government came, and they started demolishing our houses beyond what we agreed on. We are not fighting the government; we are trying to find a solution.”
Another community representative, Kojo Phineas, urged the state to act swiftly by compensating residents whose homes and means of livelihood were lost and by providing temporary shelter. He also alleged that some residents suffered brutality and theft during the demolition exercise.
Tensions briefly flared during the visit when an argument broke out among locals aboard the delegation’s boat. A young man accused another resident of betraying the community, prompting fears of violence. To avoid escalation, the lawmakers skipped that section of the waterfront and continued their inspection elsewhere.
The delegation included the Chairman of Yaba Local Government Area, Hon. Adebayo Adefuye, alongside officials from several state agencies. Addressing residents afterward, the committee’s chairman, Hon. Noheem Adams, called for restraint and announced a pause in further demolitions pending legislative review. “We cannot decide anything today, as today is just for us to come and see, but we are appealing to everybody that the status quo should remain. If the government respects the decision of the House of Assembly, then the people too should respect the decision,” he said.
For many in Makoko, the issue goes beyond buildings. Student leader Agbola told lawmakers that the community represents a network of water-based settlements whose culture and history are inseparable from the lagoon. Residents are demanding the reconstruction of demolished homes and compensation for families forced out.
Lawmakers are expected to deliberate on their findings at a meeting scheduled for Tuesday, February 10, at the Lagos State House of Assembly, where a final decision on the future of the waterfront communities is anticipated.
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