BREAKING: UN Urges Nigeria to Stop ‘Ruthless’ Forced Evictions in Lagos
Nigeria must immediately halt a ‘ruthless’ campaign of home demolitions and forced evictions in waterfront settlements in Lagos, independent human rights experts in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) have said.
In 1967, the UN established a system to promote and protect human rights around the world, selecting independent experts and giving them a mandate to report and advice on specific human rights issues.
“Demolitions must never lead to homelessness of the evicted persons, who should have access to adequate alternative housing, resettlement and compensation for lost property,” the experts said in a statement.
The latest wave of demolitions and forced evictions in the waterfront communities of Ilaje-Otumara and Baba Ijora on March 7, it said, left over 10,000 people homeless.
Residents, mainly persons living in poverty, were evicted without prior notice and forced to flee with no time to collect their belongings, as bulldozers razed their homes, businesses and places of worship, the report added.
“Individuals and families affected are now displaced and sleeping outside, and many have lost not only their homes and belongings, but also their livelihoods. The destruction of homes, markets, and fishing areas has also severely impacted food security, leaving many struggling to access daily meals.
“Urban development in the city of Lagos must not harm communities living in poverty who are already suffering due to poor government housing policies,” the experts said. “International engagement is necessary to ensure assistance to those impacted and avoid recurrence,” they added.
The forced evictions at Ilaje-Otumara and Baba Ijora were carried out by dozens of armed security forces accompanied by unidentified men armed with machetes, clubs, guns and axes, with officials onlooking, the report stressed.
“They descended on the two communities with a Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) ‘Black Maria’ mobile detention vehicle and excavators, beating residents and demolishing homes and other structures from various directions.
“Many of the people impacted suffered injuries, and some families could not find their children amid the chaos. There was no consultation or information provided about alternative temporary housing options or resettlement available to those affected.
“Mass demolitions of poor waterfront communities, which are considered prime sites for luxury housing development, have become systematic in Lagos,” the experts said.
In 2017, following demolitions and forced evictions of over 30,000 people from their homes in Otodo-Gbame, the Lagos State High Court, it said, barred the state government from evicting residents from Ilaje-Otumara and other communities in Lagos under threat of eviction without providing adequate resettlement.
In spite of this, since mid-2023 forced evictions, they explained, have resumed, with several waterfront communities impacted, such as most recently in the case of Ayetoro and Oko Baba.
“Forced evictions, arbitrary demolitions and forced displacement are contrary to both international human rights law and humanitarian law. The large-scale destruction of housing, including informal settlements due to development projects, may amount to domicide, for which those responsible should be criminally and civilly liable.
“While evictions are often justified by the Government as “slum upgrading” or “development” projects, they consistently fail to benefit or even involve vulnerable Nigerians and instead seem to serve the interests of private investors,” they said.
The experts have been in contact with the Government of Nigeria regarding these issues,the statement noted.
The experts included: Balakrishnan Rajagopal, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Paula Gaviria Betancur, Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons and Michael Fakhri, Special Rapporteur on the right to food
Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, the experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council.
Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organisation, including OHCHR and the UN.
Emmanuel Addeh
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