• NGOs crying more than bereaved, for profit, says Sanwo-Olu
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and the former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, yesterday traded words over the propriety of the recent demolition of the Makoko suburb of Lagos.

While Ezekwesili criticised the Federal and Lagos State governments for exercising “unconstitutional, inhumane and a state-sanctioned oppression of the poor”, the state governor, in defence, alleged attempted profiteering against some local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs), who are exploiting the demolition exercise for financial gain.

In a strongly worded memorandum addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Lagos State Governor, Ezekwesili earlier accused authorities of abusing state power to dispossess some of Nigeria’s poorest citizens under the guise of safety and urban development.

Raising fundamental questions about citizenship and governance, she asked whether Lagos was “a commonwealth of citizens or a marketplace where land value overrides human value,” and whether Nigeria’s democracy protects all citizens or only those with means.

According to the memorandum, Makoko residents—many of whom depend on fishing, informal trade and small-scale enterprise—are not illegal occupants but Nigerian citizens whose rights have been systematically undermined because of poverty.

She argues that decades of neglect and repeated demolitions have treated poverty as if it nullifies citizenship.

Ezekwesili, who is the founder of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), said the latest demolition followed earlier assurances by Lagos State officials that only structures within a 30 to 50-metre safety corridor from high-tension power lines would be affected.

Community leaders, she noted, cooperated with this understanding. However, she alleged that demolitions later extended far beyond the agreed limits, reportedly reaching between 277 and 522 metres from the power lines, engulfing homes, schools, clinics and livelihoods unrelated to any safety risk.

“A government that changes the rules mid-exercise and widens demolition boundaries without notice is not enforcing the law—it has abused power,” she said.

She further alleged that at least four people were reportedly killed during the demolition exercise, likening the episode to a “King Ahab-level land grab” in which the poor were violently dispossessed to serve elite interests.

Rejecting claims that the exercise was driven by safety or urban renewal concerns, Ezekwesili described the actions as “class cleansing,” aimed at removing poor communities from valuable waterfront land to satisfy political and economic elites.

Ezekwesili warned that the demolitions have triggered a humanitarian crisis, with thousands of families rendered homeless, children withdrawn from school, and vulnerable groups exposed to hunger, disease and violence. She said the situation constitutes both a constitutional and moral failure, arguing that the state had an immediate duty of care once its actions create homelessness.

But addressing journalists, the governor said the state government was monitoring the activities of such organisations and would present evidence to support its claims.

“We are aware that there are some local and international NGOs that want to profit from this. We’re studying, and we’re going to show you evidence,” Sanwo-Olu said.

According to him, the groups had secured substantial funding from international donors under the guise of supporting affected communities, without delivering on their commitments.

“They’ve made so much money from international people. And they’ve asked for so many grants and wealth into those places, and it’s just for them to cover their own lies and the fact that they’ve not done what they said they were going to be doing,” the governor stated.

Sanwo-Olu said the alleged profiteering explained what he described as excessive criticism of the state government’s actions.

“That’s why they’re all shouting and crying more than the bereaved. And we’re here to face them and to let them see the reasons why we have to do what we’re doing,” he added.

The governor defended the demolition exercise, insisting it was carried out in the interest of public safety, particularly due to the presence of illegal structures erected under high-tension power lines.