Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and former Minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, have engaged in a public exchange over the legality and humanitarian implications of the recent demolition exercise in the Makoko area of the state.

Ezekwesili faulted both the Federal and Lagos State governments, describing the demolitions as unconstitutional, inhumane and a form of state-backed oppression against vulnerable communities.

In response, the governor rejected the accusations and instead alleged that some local and international non-governmental organisations, NGOs, were exploiting the situation for financial gain.

In a detailed memorandum addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu, Ezekwesili accused authorities of abusing state power to dispossess some of the country’s poorest citizens under the pretext of safety concerns and urban renewal.

She raised questions about governance and citizenship, asking whether Lagos operates as a community of equal citizens or as a space where economic value outweighs human dignity. She further questioned whether Nigeria’s democratic framework protects all citizens or only those with economic privilege.

According to Ezekwesili, residents of Makoko, many of whom rely on fishing, informal trading and small-scale businesses, are not illegal settlers but Nigerian citizens whose rights have been consistently undermined because of their socioeconomic status.

She argued that years of neglect and repeated demolitions have fostered a pattern where poverty is treated as grounds for exclusion from citizenship rights.

The former minister, who founded the School of Politics, Policy and Governance, SPPG, stated that the latest demolition contradicted earlier assurances by Lagos State officials.

She said community leaders were initially informed that only structures located within a 30 to 50-metre safety buffer around high-tension power lines would be affected, an understanding under which residents reportedly cooperated.

However, she alleged that the scope of demolition later expanded significantly, extending hundreds of metres beyond the agreed limits and affecting homes, schools, clinics and sources of livelihood that posed no safety threat.

“A government that alters agreed conditions mid-operation and widens demolition boundaries without notice is not enforcing the law but abusing its authority,” Ezekwesili said.

She further claimed that the operation resulted in fatalities and likened the incident to a forceful land seizure designed to serve elite interests.

According to her, the demolitions were not genuinely motivated by safety or urban planning considerations but amounted to what she described as “class cleansing” of poor communities from valuable waterfront areas.

Ezekwesili warned that the exercise had triggered a humanitarian emergency, displacing thousands of families, disrupting children’s education and exposing vulnerable groups to hunger, disease and insecurity. She argued that once government actions create homelessness, the state bears an immediate constitutional and moral responsibility to provide care and protection.

Responding to the criticism, Governor Sanwo-Olu told journalists that the state government was scrutinising the activities of certain NGOs involved in the matter and would present evidence to support its claims.

“We are aware that some local and international NGOs are attempting to profit from this situation. We are monitoring them and will provide evidence,” the governor said.

He alleged that the organisations had secured significant funding from international donors in the name of supporting affected communities but failed to deliver tangible assistance.

“They have received substantial grants and resources, yet they have not fulfilled the commitments they made. What we are seeing is an attempt to cover up those failures,” Sanwo-Olu stated.

According to the governor, the alleged profiteering partly explains the intensity of criticism directed at the state government.

“That is why some people are protesting louder than those directly affected. We are prepared to confront these issues and explain why certain decisions had to be taken,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu maintained that the demolition exercise was necessary and justified, insisting that it was carried out primarily to safeguard lives due to the dangers posed by illegal structures erected beneath high-tension power lines.