Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa, CAPPA, has condemned the alleged violent crackdown by security operatives on peaceful protesters who gathered at the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest ongoing demolitions and forced evictions across waterfront and low-income communities in the state.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the civil society organisation accused the Lagos State Government and the Nigerian Police Force of unleashing violence on displaced residents who had assembled at the Assembly complex to demand redress over demolitions, assaults, and reported killings linked to eviction exercises.
According to CAPPA, security operatives led by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Moshood, attacked hundreds of protesters and dispersed them with tear gas, leading to injuries and arrests. The organisation demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto, a member of the #EndBadGovernance Movement in Lagos State, alongside other demonstrators arrested during the protest.
CAPPA said Soweto, Comrade Jacob Akiri, Evangelist Isaac Doosuga, a septuagenarian from Makoko, and several others were forcefully seized after police officers deployed tear gas on the crowd. The organisation described the action as a gross violation of constitutional rights and accused the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led administration of sustained repression against poor and displaced communities.
The organisation further alleged that the continued demolitions have reportedly resulted in the deaths of at least 12 persons in Makoko, including a five-day-old baby, as well as fatalities in other affected communities.
Recounting events at the Assembly complex, CAPPA said the protest was peaceful, noting that displaced residents had marched from Ikeja Under-Bridge to the House of Assembly to formally present their grievances. It stated that lawmakers, including the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security, Hon. Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode, briefly addressed the protesters but refused them access to the Assembly premises or the amphitheatre.
According to the statement, exhausted protesters, including elderly men and women, were denied seats and basic courtesies and were left sitting outside under the sun. CAPPA said the situation only escalated after security agents deployed tear gas without provocation.
The organisation reported that tear gas canisters were fired directly at unarmed protesters, leading to injuries and panic. It said a community member, Kafayat Muftaudeen, was struck on the leg by a tear gas canister and remains hospitalised, while a journalist, Oluwaferanmi Oladipupo of Daily Family, reportedly suffered severe tear gas exposure and was placed on oxygen. CAPPA also mentioned that Jennifer Rita Obiora, a medical professional and member of the #EndBadGovernance Lagos chapter, was brutalised and rushed to the hospital.
CAPPA further alleged that police officers forcefully seized and stole personal belongings, work tools, and equipment belonging to protesters and journalists, describing the actions as criminal and a threat to press freedom and civic space.
Reacting to claims by the Lagos State House of Assembly that Soweto’s conduct escalated the situation, CAPPA dismissed the assertion as false, insisting that video evidence shows Soweto urging protesters to remain peaceful and sit calmly after being denied access to the Assembly.
The organisation claimed that the Commissioner of Police took personal offence at Soweto’s criticism of police brutality during demolition exercises and deliberately targeted him for arrest. It also rejected claims that the Assembly had earlier committed to halting demolitions, stating that evictions continued and that some lawmakers later told residents their land had been sold, advising them to prepare for eviction within five years.
Quoting its Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, CAPPA said the rights to peaceful protest, expression, and association are guaranteed under the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights laws. Oluwafemi stated that there was no justification for the use of force against unarmed citizens and journalists.
CAPPA demanded the immediate release of all detained protesters, the suspension of the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, and the return of all seized property. The organisation also called for an immediate halt to demolitions and forced evictions across Lagos State and demanded independent investigations into reported killings in Makoko, Owode, Oworonshoki, and other communities.
The organisation urged the Nigerian Police Force to end the routine use of force against peaceful demonstrators and called on the Lagos State House of Assembly to engage affected communities in good faith. CAPPA warned that it would mobilise civil society and the public if its demands were not met.
