Get Guardian on Google• Residents flee homes amid fears of further attacks
At least five people have been killed and eight others injured following a violent attack on Sogunro community in Lagos State by suspected armed youths.
The attack, which reportedly occurred around midnight on Sunday, November 1, into the early hours of Monday, November 2, 2026, involved armed youths allegedly wielding guns, axes and other dangerous weapons.
According to the Coalition Against Demolition, Forced Eviction, Landgrabbing and Displacement in Lagos State, the attackers invaded Sogunro after residents reportedly refused demands for money to fund a party.
The group said: “We call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible, and swift action to protect the Sogunro community against further such attacks. “On Sunday night around midnight, some youths allegedly from the neighbouring Iwaya community invaded Sogunro community after demands for money for a party had been refused. They came with guns, axes, and other dangerous weapons. At least five people were brutally murdered, with one executed with an axe to the neck, others shot or axed in the back, and at least one body dumped in a canal. At least eight others were injured and hospitalized, and numerous valuable properties were destroyed and looted. Yet the police are yet to arrest the perpetrators, who remain at large.”
The incident has reportedly left residents of Sogunro living in fear, with some afraid to sleep in their homes at night over concerns of another invasion.
According to the coalition, some residents living close to the boundary between Sogunro and Iwaya have fled their homes and are now seeking refuge in boats or staying with neighbours around the waterside.
The group expressed solidarity with the families of those killed and other affected residents, calling on the police to immediately arrest and prosecute everyone responsible for the attack.
It also urged security authorities to take urgent measures to protect the community and prevent further violence.
The coalition recalled that Sogunro, alongside neighbouring Makoko and Oko Agbon communities, experienced large-scale forced evictions by the Lagos State Government between December 2025 and mid-January 2026.
The demolitions reportedly displaced an estimated 30,000 residents before widespread protests and public outcry halted the exercise.
Following the suspension of the demolitions, residents remained in the affected communities and began rebuilding their homes and livelihoods while awaiting further information about a proposed United Nations-supported Makoko Water Cities project.
The proposed initiative was expected to be implemented in partnership with residents of Makoko, Sogunro and Oko Agbon for the benefit of the three waterfront communities.
The coalition also referenced a meeting held last month by the Oba of Iwaya, involving representatives of the Lagos State government and some Baales from Makoko, to discuss a proposed new project for the community.
However, some of the traditional community leaders reportedly insisted that their legal representatives must be present and that they needed full details of the proposed project before proceeding with discussions. Against this backdrop, the coalition called for the protection of residents’ rights, safety and livelihoods.
It reiterated its demand for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the Sogunro killings, as well as urgent security intervention to guarantee the safety of residents. The group stressed that residents should be able to live in their homes without fear of violence, intimidation or further displacement.
The statement by the coalition were signed by Jude Ojo representative of Ilaje Otumara community; Kunnu Paul representative of Otodo Gbame community; Bisola Akinmuyiwa and Imole Dezyno, leaders of Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation; Israel Idowu and Sylvanus Moses, Student leaders of Makoko Waterfront community; Zikora Ibeh, Assistant Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA); Opeyemi Adamolekun for Active Citizen; Comrade Hassan Taiwo, alias Soweto, member of the Organizing Committee, #EndBadGovernance Movement, and Megan Chapman, Co-Executive Director, Justice & Empowerment Initiatives (JEI).
