Nigeria: Third Mainland Bridge Gridlock: Oworonshoki residents protest demolition of homes
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
A major traffic disruption occurred yesterday morning on the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos after residents of Oworonshoki, in Kosofe Local Government Area, staged a protest against the demolition of houses in their community.
The demonstration began at dawn, blocking the inward lane of the bridge and leaving thousands of commuters stranded for hours. Many motorists were forced to divert through alternative routes, worsening congestion across the mainland.
The residents accused the Lagos State Government of demolishing their homes without adequate notice or compensation. Many claimed their families had been rendered homeless overnight.
The demolition exercise started on Saturday and was carried out by a combined enforcement team of state officials. According to the government, the targeted buildings were classified as illegal structures located along the Lekki and Iyana Oworonshoki coastal lines.
The protesters, numbering in the hundreds, insisted they would not vacate the bridge until the demolition machinery was withdrawn from their community. They confronted security operatives and later engaged directly with the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Moshood Jimoh, who arrived at the scene.
Despite appeals from the police commissioner for calm and for protesters to disperse, residents refused to leave, worsening the plight of commuters. Reports emerged of people in medical distress being trapped in the standstill traffic.
The Lagos State Police Command, in a statement by Deputy Police Public Relations Officer Babasayi Oluseyi, confirmed that order had eventually been restored.
The statement explained that Commissioner Jimoh personally led detachments of the Mobile Police Force and tactical units to de-escalate the situation and protect lives and property.
“In the interest of public safety and to avert further breakdown of law and order, the Commissioner of Police directed the use of minimal force to disperse the crowd,” the statement said. Barricades erected by the demonstrators were dismantled, traffic was cleared, and normal vehicular flow resumed.
Authorities emphasized that the operation was conducted without any loss of life.
The protest underscores growing tension between Lagos residents and the state government over urban renewal projects, particularly demolitions along waterways and coastlines. While officials argue that such actions are necessary for environmental safety and infrastructure development, affected residents say they are left without shelter or compensation.
The Oworonshoki protest is the latest flashpoint in Lagos’ struggle to balance rapid urban expansion with the rights and livelihoods of its citizens.
