Women from the Ilaje community in Lagos State have threatened to stage nude protests over the alleged continuous demolition of their ancestral homes.
On Tuesday, despite heavy rainfall, hundreds of demonstrators under the aegis of Egbe Omo Ilaje marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly, Alausa, Ikeja, demanding urgent intervention from Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.
Carrying placards, the protesters accused some traditional rulers of acting as “land grabbers” and masterminding the destruction of Ilaje settlements.
An elderly woman, identified as Ifagbemi, vowed that Ilaje women would embark on a nude protest at the palaces of monarchs if the demolitions continued.
“We are the founders of Lagos. We hailed from Ilaje before settling in Ebute-Ero, then known as Olobun. If the government fails to meet our demands, we, the women, will organise a nude protest. We want the government to come to our aid,” she declared.
The President-General of Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide, Rafael Irowainu, alleged that some monarchs were hiding under the name of President Bola Tinubu to justify the unlawful destruction of homes.
“Royal fathers have turned themselves into land grabbers. They claim President Tinubu sent them, but he did not. They are only using his name to carry out fraudulent activities,” he said.
He further alleged that some of the monarchs involved were not indigenes of Lagos but hailed from Osun and Ekiti States.
“None of these monarchs created Lagos. How can kings, who are supposed to uphold justice, demolish people’s homes without legal backing? Such acts only fuel insecurity,” he warned, demanding compensation for affected residents.
Another protester, Wole Adewusi, appealed to the governor to intervene, lamenting that families had been displaced.
“Some Lagos Obas have turned themselves into land grabbers. Houses are being demolished, properties burnt, and landlords rendered homeless. Our wives and children are suffering,” he said.
Also speaking, the Lagos State Chairman of Egbe Omo Ilaje, Prince Oluwajimusu, condemned what he described as an attempt to erase Ilaje heritage.
“You cannot write the history of Lagos without mentioning Ilaje as one of the first settlers. What is happening is unjust to our people. We will decide our fate in 2027. We are not slaves,” he said.
The protest follows earlier outrage by the group over the renaming of Ilaje Street in Bariga after music legend King Sunny Ade, which they also viewed as an erasure of their identity.
