Sowore Condemns Oworonshoki Demolitions, Accuses Lagos Government of ‘Land Grabbing’
By Paul Ebi
Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has strongly condemned the ongoing demolitions in Oworonshoki, Lagos State, describing the action as “an attack on the poor and a blatant case of state-backed dispossession.”
In a statement released on social media on Tuesday, Sowore criticized Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Lagos State Government for what he called a “war against the people,” asserting that the government had failed in its responsibility to provide housing but was eager to destroy the homes of vulnerable residents.
> “We go again. A government that cannot build homes for the people must never be allowed to demolish the only shelter they have,” Sowore said.“No to the #Oworonshoki demolitions. No to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his king-partner land grabbers. We will protect homes. We will protect families. We will not let bulldozers speed up dispossession. We will resist!”
The demolition exercise, which reportedly began over the weekend, has left hundreds of families displaced. Many residents have accused the state government of failing to provide adequate notice or alternative resettlement arrangements.
Government officials, however, maintain that the operation targets illegal structures built on waterfronts and drainage channels, which they say obstruct environmental management and flood control efforts.
Sowore’s statement adds to growing public outrage over the demolitions, with activists and civil society groups calling for an immediate halt to the exercise and for the state to adopt a more humane urban development policy.
As protests continue to mount both online and in parts of Lagos, the controversy underscores a long-standing tension between the government’s urban renewal initiatives and the housing rights of low-income communities.
