Makoko Demolitions: Pregnant Woman Dies After Being Blocked From Hospital

The human toll of the ongoing demolitions in Makoko came into sharp focus on Thursday as rights groups and community leaders disclosed that a pregnant woman bled to death after she was prevented from reaching a hospital during the exercise.

The death was listed among several fatalities, displacements and losses recorded as the Lagos State Government carried out demolitions in Makoko and other underserved communities across the state.

In a joint statement, rights organisations—including Justice and Empowerment Initiatives (JEI), Spaces for Change, the Coalition of Oworonshoki Demolition Victims, CEE-HOPE, CAPPA, victims from the Makoko Waterfront Community, and community leaders—condemned the demolitions as inhumane and unlawful. The statement, titled “Systemic, Illegal, Cruel and Deceitful Forced Evictions: A Demand for Justice, Accountability and Resettlement for Makoko and Other Affected Communities,” criticised the government’s actions and called for accountability.

Speaking at a forum organised by affected communities in Lagos, the groups said the demolitions had resulted in avoidable deaths, homelessness and widespread economic hardship.

Student Coordinator of the Makoko Waterfront Community, Israel Idowu, said the events in Makoko were neither accidental nor unknown to the government. He recalled that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had previously spoken publicly about plans to transform Makoko into a tourist destination and had acknowledged the presence of power lines in the area.

“What happened in Makoko was not an accident. It was not something the government did not know about. The governor himself has spoken about turning Makoko into a tourist centre and has also mentioned the issue of power lines here,” Idowu said.

He added that residents had earlier been assured that the demolitions would stop.

“We were told clearly that the demolition would stop. After that meeting, the bulldozers still came back. When we asked questions, we were told it was an order from above,” he said.

Idowu described the humanitarian impact as devastating, noting that a pregnant woman who needed urgent medical attention was unable to reach a hospital due to movement restrictions during the demolition, leading to her death.

According to him, many residents are now sleeping in boats, canoes, churches and open spaces.

“Children are no longer going to school. Fishing has stopped. Small shops that people depend on to feed their families have been destroyed,” he said. He also pointed to ongoing sand filling in the lagoon as evidence that the demolitions extend beyond safety concerns and suggest plans for future developments that threaten the community’s survival.

Chairman of the Owode Motor Spare Parts Market, Comrade Abiodun Ahmed, said demolitions in Owode Onirin destroyed livelihoods built over many years.

“In one day, traders lost their shops, spare parts, vehicles and everything they worked for. Some people lost businesses they have built for decades,” Ahmed said.

He alleged that traders were attacked by security operatives and government officials, with some arrested and vehicles seized.

Secretary of the Coalition of Oworonshoki Demolition Victims, Olanrewaju Olusegun, said residents of Oworonshoki had a similar experience during demolitions in 2023.

“They came late at night when people were asleep. Bulldozers pulled down houses with people still inside. It was chaos,” Olusegun said.

He added that many residents were injured, arrested or detained, while others lost both their homes and sources of livelihood overnight.

Active citizen Opeyemi Adamolekun called for transparency regarding allegations that some community leaders were paid by government officials.

“If the government says they paid some community leaders, they should come out and name them. Keeping it secret is creating mistrust and division in these communities,” Adamolekun said.

Earlier, the groups alleged that at least 12 people, including two infants, had died, naming 70-year-old Albertine Ojadikluno and five-day-old Epiphany Kpenassou Adingban among the victims.

The rights organisations said the demolitions in Makoko, Owode and Oworonshoki amount to state-created homelessness and land grabbing. They demanded an immediate halt to the demolitions, emergency shelter for displaced families, compensation for lost homes and businesses, accountability for reported deaths and abuses, and a resettlement plan developed in consultation with affected communities.

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