By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Makoko and Babajide Sanwo-Olu |
LAGOS, NIGERIA — Tensions have reached a breaking point in the historic waterfront community of Makoko as prominent Ogu (Egun) leaders accuse the Lagos State Government of a deliberate ethnic cleansing campaign. What began as a reported safety measure to clear structures under high-tension power lines has allegedly spiraled into a massive land-grabbing scheme aimed at displacing over one million Ogu people across ten distinct communities.
The outcry follows claims that the state government "tricked" community leaders into signing agreements under false pretenses. According to local representatives, the government originally requested a 30-meter clearance for power line safety.
However, once the demolition squads arrived, they reportedly cleared over 200 meters of land, handing the territory over to private developers without the consent or knowledge of the indigenous inhabitants.
Prof. Olaoluwa Senayon, Professor of Diaspora Studies has criticized the state's role as a "land grabber" against a minority group. He noted the irony of Ogu chiefs having to appeal in the Yoruba language just to be heard by the broader public and the administration. "It is a shame on the Lagos State Government when it cannot protect the only other indigenous ethnic group in the state," Senayon remarked, highlighting the unique cultural status of the Ogu.
Daniel Dovoeke, a prominent community advocate from Badagry, has voiced stern warnings to the Ogu people across the state. "The current Lagos State leadership has constantly demonstrated a disregard for ethnic groups outside the ruling inner circle," Dovoeke stated. "This is nothing but a calculated attempt to witch-hunt the Ogu people. Badagry residents must stay vigilant; this is an injustice designed to annihilate our cultural preservation."
Dovoeke further critiqued the democratic failings of the current administration, noting that those elected to represent the people have instead become "oppressive tools of hardship." He lamented that the government has devolved into a power-grabbing caucus that ignores the historical and indigenous rights of the Ogu people, who have inhabited these lands for generations.
The physical toll of the demolition exercise has been devastating. Baale Semede Emmanuel, the Baale of the Makoko waterfront, reported that the enforcement has turned violent. "Three children and two adults have been killed by the police during this exercise," he claimed. The Baale also alleged a campaign of silence, stating that security forces have threatened to demolish the entire community if residents speak to the press.
The shift from a 30-meter safety zone to a 200-meter clearing has left thousands homeless overnight. Many families are currently sleeping in canoes or makeshift shelters on the water, watching as the land their ancestors settled is cordoned off for high-end real estate development.
As the bulldozers continue their work, the Ogu community is calling for an immediate halt to the demolitions and an independent investigation into the reported deaths and the legality of the land transfers to private developers. For now, one of Lagos’s most iconic and oldest indigenous settlements hangs in the balance, caught between urban "renewal" and what leaders call a "heartless" erasure of history.