By Joy Baba-Yesufu
A group of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has condemned the forced mass eviction people of Ilaje Otumara and Baba Ijora communities in Lagos Mainland.
The CSOs which consist of Justice and Empowerment Initiative, Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement and Global Rights in a statement said this action disregards years of positive engagement and broken promises for collaborative regeneration efforts in those neighborhoods adding that such forced evictions risk eroding any remaining trust in the Government’s handling of land governance and urban development and could have severe repercussions for the nation.
The statement further said the implications of this eviction extend beyond immediate displacement; they signify a troubling regression from years of progress toward fairer urban development practices that arose from the collective struggles of informal settlements in Lagos. “Ilaje Otumara had previously engaged in fruitful discussions with the State Government and secured legal protections against such evictions based on the 2016 court ruling relating to dignity and consultation as enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution” it noted.
According to the statement “On February 11, 2025, officials from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) unlawfully marked hundreds of homes and businesses in Ilaje Otumara and Baba Ijora for “removal” within an alarmingly brief timeline of just two days. That very day, residents protested to the Lagos Mainland Local Government, where the Chairwoman pledged support for the community.
“On February 12, 2025, community members staged a peaceful demonstration in Alausa, appealing to the Governor of Lagos State and the House of Assembly for intervention to halt the impending eviction. Residents delivered letters to various ministries involved in urban development and took part in multiple stakeholder meetings with the General Manager of LASBCA, the General Manager of the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning, and the Governor’s Special Advisor on Urban Development who assured them they would not be evicted, promising instead a continued partnership for regeneration.”
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