Storytimes Newspapers

 Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has strongly defended the recent demolition of structures in parts of the Makoko waterfront community, describing the action as essential for public safety and to avert potential disasters. Speaking at a private breakfast meeting with selected Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers organized by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF) in Ikoyi, the governor addressed criticisms and protests following the demolitions. He explained that the exercise targeted illegal shanties that had expanded rapidly and encroached dangerously close to critical infrastructure, including the Third Mainland Bridge and high-tension power lines. “I have been accused of destroying Makoko,” Sanwo-Olu said. “But the challenge is that the settlement was growing at an incredible speed and moving dangerously close to the Third Mainland Bridge with high-tension power lines underneath. I am not going to sit down and wait for something to drop off and, in one day, lose bet...

  A pregnant woman in Lagos' Makoko waterfront community reportedly bled to death during recent demolitions by Lagos State authorities, highlighting the severe humanitarian impact of the ongoing clearance exercise. According to rights groups and community leaders, the unnamed woman, who was heavily pregnant, went into labor complications amid the chaos of the demolitions in mid-January 2026. She was allegedly prevented or delayed from reaching a hospital due to the destruction of access routes, security presence, and displacement of residents. She subsequently suffered severe bleeding and died from complications related to obstructed access to medical care. The incident was detailed in reports from Vanguard News and other outlets, where advocates described it as a tragic consequence of the forceful evictions without adequate notice or support for vulnerable residents. The demolitions, carried out by the Lagos State Building Control Agency and involving amphibious excavators and sec...