Lagos, Nigeria | September 8, 2025
Traffic on the Third Mainland Bridge was brought to a standstill on Monday as residents of Oworonshoki, Lagos, staged a peaceful protest against the demolition of their homes by the Lagos State Government.
The demonstrators, carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, blocked a section of the busy bridge to express their frustration over what they described as “forced evictions without adequate compensation or alternative housing.”
According to eyewitnesses, the protest began in the early hours and quickly drew large crowds, leaving commuters stranded in heavy gridlock. Security operatives, including officers of the Nigeria Police Force, were deployed to prevent escalation.
Protest leaders said the demonstration was aimed at drawing the attention of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration to their plight. They accused the government of carrying out the demolitions without considering the welfare of displaced families, many of whom have been rendered homeless.
“We are not against development,” one protester said, “but we deserve fair treatment and relocation plans. Families with children are sleeping in the open because their houses were demolished overnight.”
The Lagos State Government had earlier defended the demolitions as part of its urban renewal drive, insisting that the affected structures violated environmental and planning regulations.
Authorities have yet to confirm whether negotiations with the protesters will be initiated, but traffic authorities advised motorists to seek alternative routes as the standoff disrupted movement between Lagos Island and the mainland.
