Midnight Demolitions Throw Lagos Community Into Homelessness

By TINA TOLUTOPE

THE Amikanle community in Alagbado, Lagos, is reeling from a midnight demolition that left dozens—mostly elderly women and widows—homeless, displaced and stripped of their livelihoods. The operation, carried out overnight on November 7 along the Powerline corridor, flattened homes and shops that many had relied on for decades.

Residents say the demolition happened without warning, under heavy security, and with threats of arrest for anyone attempting to record the scene. By morning, lifelong homeowners were sleeping in vehicles, under makeshift shelters or along the streets.

Lives Uprooted Overnight

For 63-year-old Olabisi Osho, nearly three decades of stability ended in minutes. She says her building was never listed for demolition. “They came at midnight and pulled everything down,” she recounts, showing a head injury she sustained while escaping. She now sleeps in a trailer with all she could salvage.

Others share similar stories.

• 64-year-old Oni Elizabeth says this is the second time her family has been displaced by a government exercise.

• 66-year-old widow Aina Adejare, who lived in the neighbourhood for more than 30 years, now has nowhere to go.

• Multiple widows who ran small businesses say they have lost everything—shops, inventory and customers.

Shop owners insist their structures were not under any high-tension line. “There is hunger already, and this has made it worse,” said trader Adebimpe Oduro, who received no compensation.

“Sudden and Forceful”

Residents describe the demolition as abrupt and intimidating. A youth, Muiz, alleges that anyone caught filming was thrown into a Black Maria. Several residents claim to have sustained injuries while trying to save belongings from the rubble.

Some victims say the land is already being resold or prepared for new occupants. “If clearing the powerline was the goal, why are buildings going up again?” asked widowed trader Ishola Ikotun, who lost her shop within a week of receiving notice.

A Community in Crisis

A gospel singer and Amikanle native, Testimony Jaga, says many displaced people now sleep under bridges or makeshift shelters, exposed to rain and unsafe conditions. He claims the community contributed millions in an attempt to negotiate with authorities, but the effort failed.

“We want negotiation, not conflict,” he said. “If they want to build BRT parks or supermarkets, fine—but where should the displaced go?”

Government Response

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) maintains that the structures stood illegally under high-tension lines. Spokesperson Adu Ademuyiwa denied claims of land reallocation, stressing that no government would allow construction under high-tension power lines.

He noted that some residents rebuilt structures even after previous warnings. “If they don’t have documents, what do they want the government to do?” he asked.

A Growing Pattern

The Amikanle demolition adds to a series of clearance exercises across Lagos—from Oworonshoki to Abule-Egba—raising questions about the state’s approach to urban regulation and its humanitarian responsibility toward vulnerable residents.

For the widows and elderly citizens now sleeping in the open, the question remains: who will help them rebuild the lives lost in one night?