Women from the Ilaje community in Lagos State have threatened to stage a nude protest over what they described as the continuous demolition of their ancestral homes.
On Tuesday, August 19, hundreds of demonstrators under the banner of Egbe Omo Ilaje marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja, urging Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Speaker Mudashiru Obasa to take swift action.
The protesters accused certain traditional rulers of acting as “land grabbers” and masterminding the destruction of Ilaje settlements.
One elderly woman, who introduced herself as Ifagbemi, vowed that she and other women would embark on a nude protest at the palaces of the monarchs involved if the government failed to intervene.
She said: “We are the original inhabitants of Lagos. Our ancestors moved from Ilaje to Ebute-Ero, formerly called Olobun. If our demands are ignored, we will strip ourselves and march to the palaces of these monarchs. We seek peace and justice.”
The President-General of Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide, Rafael Irowainu, also accused some monarchs of hiding under President Bola Tinubu’s name to justify unlawful demolitions.
According to him: “Some royal fathers have abandoned their duty to uphold justice and have instead turned into land grabbers. They falsely claim President Tinubu authorized them, but we know he did not. Their actions are fraudulent and illegal.”
He further alleged that some of the monarchs fueling the crisis were not Lagos indigenes but hailed from Osun and Ekiti states.
“None of these monarchs built Lagos, yet they oppress us for political advantage. How can a king demolish homes without any legal backing? We are the true indigenes of Lagos. We are Yoruba, not outsiders. These demolitions, without court orders, will only increase insecurity and homelessness,” he said, demanding compensation for displaced families.
Another protester, Wole Adewusi, lamented that many landlords had lost their homes and properties, pushing families into hardship.
“Our wives and children are suffering. We call on Governor Sanwo-Olu to save us from these so-called Obas who have turned into land grabbers,” he added.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Chairman of Egbe Omo Ilaje, Prince Oluwajimusu, condemned what he described as a deliberate attempt to erase Ilaje heritage.
“You cannot write the history of Lagos without acknowledging Ilaje as among its earliest settlers. What is happening is unjust. We cannot continue to live as strangers on our own land. By 2027, we will determine our political direction,” he declared.
