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Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has raised concerns over the alleged use of expired teargas canisters by police operatives during last week’s protest against illegal demolitions and forced evictions in the Makoko waterfront area of Lagos.
Falana’s comments came as the Lagos State Government defended the demolition exercise, saying it was carried out to protect lives and prevent potential disasters. Meanwhile, the Lagos State House of Assembly has invited stakeholders and leaders of Makoko and adjoining waterfront communities to a meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
The protest, organised by activists Hassan Taiwo, popularly known as Soweto, and Dele Frank, was aimed at drawing the attention of the state government to alleged unlawful demolitions and forced evictions in waterfront communities. Although the demonstration reportedly began peacefully, it later turned violent after police operatives allegedly fired teargas at close range. Several protesters sustained injuries, drawing condemnation from human rights groups and civil society organisations.
Speaking at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) during a visit to injured protesters, Falana described the police action as unconstitutional, dangerous and a violation of citizens’ right to peaceful assembly.
At the hospital, Falana was briefed on the condition of one of the injured protesters, Mrs Kafayat Muftaudeen, by a burns and plastic nurse, Mr Adedeji Hassan. Hassan explained that Mrs Muftaudeen, who sustained a severe leg injury, was being discharged but would continue treatment through regular wound dressing and weekly hospital visits before undergoing surgery.
“She is fit to go home and will be coming to the hospital weekly for dressing,” Hassan said, adding that she would later undergo skin grafting once the wound had healed.
Reacting to the injuries observed, Falana described them as unusual and alarming.
“In my over 40 years of participating in protests across the country, I have never seen tear gas canisters cause such severe injuries. The injury I have seen is not normal,” he said.
The senior lawyer stressed that the 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, noting that Nigerians do not require police permits to protest. According to him, the Police Establishment Act only requires protest organisers to notify the police, who are then duty-bound to provide security.
He added that the organisers complied with the law, pointing out that police officers peacefully escorted the protesters from Ikeja Under Bridge to the Alausa Secretariat before the situation escalated.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government reiterated that the demolition of structures in parts of Makoko was aimed at safeguarding lives and preventing potential disasters.
Speaking at a joint ministerial press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso; the Governor’s Special Adviser on E-GIS and Urban Development, Dr Babatunde Olajide; and the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Gboyega Akosile, said the government had a responsibility to protect residents, provided such actions did not infringe on the rights of others.
Omotoso disclosed that many of the wooden structures erected along the waterfront were located directly beneath high-tension power cables, posing serious risks to occupants. He said the decision to remove the affected buildings was taken in the interest of public safety and to preserve the dignity of residents living in hazardous conditions.
Also speaking, Olajide said the Oworonsoki demolition had involved more than 10 years of planning. On the Makoko exercise, he described the removal of buildings within high-tension corridors as part of a statewide safety programme.
He said:
“Mr Governor committed $2 million and we were expecting $8 million in counterpart funding from the United Nations. However, funds are no longer readily available from many donor agencies.
“So we are left with the water city project, to which the state has committed $2 million. It is environmentally friendly, and its location is within the fishing community in Makoko, which has not been tampered with. Areas affected are only those within the high-tension corridor.
“I can assure you that, through the benevolence of Mr Governor, displaced Makoko residents will be compensated. Enumeration is already ongoing. Saving lives remains the top priority.
“The occupants have been properly engaged on the redevelopment project of Makoko. There is an international task force, including the UN, working on its implementation. A private firm has also approached the state government to build schools in Makoko.”
Meanwhile, the Lagos State House of Assembly has summoned stakeholders and leaders of communities affected by the recent demolitions in Makoko and adjoining waterfront settlements.
The Clerk of the House, Olalekan Onafeko, said the meeting followed a petition submitted by the affected communities.
In a letter to the community leaders, Onafeko wrote:
“I write to acknowledge receipt of your petition dated January 14, 2026, on the above subject and invite you to a meeting with the Committee on Rules and Business on February 3, 2026, at 10 a.m. at the Chamber’s Conference Room, Assembly Complex, Alausa, Ikeja.
“You are requested to attend the meeting with heads of your communities and any relevant documents that would facilitate fruitful deliberations.”
Separately, the Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights (CHSR) condemned the handling of the protest and called for investigations into the killing of six traders in the Owode Onirin area of Lagos State in August 2025.
Addressing journalists at the International Press Centre, Ogba, Lagos, the President of CHSR, Alex Omotehinse, said citizens have a constitutional right to protest.
“We demand an independent investigation into the killing of the six Owode Onirin traders and all other killings in affected communities across the state,” he said.
He also called for the prosecution of those responsible, an end to police interference in lawful protests, and justice, compensation and restoration for affected communities.
“Peaceful protest is a constitutional right. Victims of demolition are citizens, not enemies, and civil society organisations are partners in democracy, not adversaries,” Omotehinse added.
