Residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon, and Sogunro communities in the Yaba area of Lagos have rejected a plan by the Lagos State House of Assembly to move them to the Epe area after their homes were demolished.
Some residents said they never agreed with the government about relocating to another part of the state.
The Secretary of the Makoko Gunuvi Student Association, Zannu Silivester, said that discussions between the communities and the government were only suggestions and talks. He said there was no final agreement about relocation.
According to him, many residents were surprised when the relocation plan was announced.
He said Nigeria is a democratic country and people should have the right to decide their future instead of having decisions forced on them.
Silivester also questioned claims that the Oloto Royal Family owns the Makoko waterfront.
He said that during earlier visits to the Assembly, the chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, Noheem Babatunde Adams, reportedly said the Makoko waterfront belonged to the Federal Government, not the Oloto family.
Silivester said it is surprising that the Oloto family is now being listed as the owner. He said this change raises serious questions.
He explained that the Makoko waterfront community has existed for many years and that the Ogu (Gunuvi) people have lived there for generations because their main work is fishing, which requires them to live close to the water.
He added that residents might hold a peaceful protest if the government continues with the relocation plan without their agreement.
“The people of Makoko are law-abiding citizens, but we will continue to defend our rights and our ancestral homes,” he said.
Another community leader, Isaac Dosugan, said earlier talks with the government were about setting boundaries for the communities, not moving residents elsewhere.
Dosugan, who is 75 years old and was born in the community, said the residents suggested that the government should mark out an area for them on the waterfront. They also proposed that the government develop the remaining areas into affordable housing.
He said he was surprised that the government is now talking about relocation and insisted that residents do not accept the plan.
The residents reacted after the Lagos State House of Assembly recommended during a plenary session that people affected by the demolition be moved to the Epe area.
The Assembly made the recommendation after reviewing a report from its Committee on Rules and Business.
The report followed a petition sent to the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, titled “Urgent Appeal Regarding Ongoing Mass Forced Eviction and Illegal Demolition Threatening Tens of Thousands in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro Communities.”
Adams said the committee reached its decision after five meetings with the petitioners and after visiting the affected communities with government officials and other agencies.
Lawmakers noted that the demolition displaced many residents, including women, children, and elderly people, and destroyed homes and property.
They also said that these waterfront communities depend mainly on fishing for their livelihood and have historically lived near the water because of their work.
The Assembly recommended that Babajide Sanwo‑Olu, the Governor of Lagos State, should direct the Special Adviser on E-GIS to check and confirm the population report submitted by the communities.
The committee also suggested relocating the remaining residents of Makoko, Sogunro, and Oko-Agbon to a proposed low-cost housing estate in the Agbowa area, where they could continue their fishing activities.
