Protesters Shut Down Third Mainland Bridge Over Oworonshoki Demolitions

Traffic on Lagos’ Third Mainland Bridge was brought to a standstill on Monday morning as residents of Oworonshoki staged a protest against the demolition of their homes.

The demonstration followed a Lagos State Government enforcement exercise that began on Saturday, during which unapproved structures along the Lekki and Iyana Oworonshoki coastal corridors were pulled down.

Residents, who turned out in large numbers, accused the government of conducting the operation without adequate notice or compensation. Many said they had been rendered homeless overnight and vowed to resist further demolitions.

The protesters blocked the inward lane of the bridge at dawn, forcing motorists to abandon their vehicles and seek alternative routes. The disruption quickly caused gridlock across several adjoining roads, worsening the Monday morning rush.

When Lagos Commissioner of Police, Moshood Jimoh, arrived at the scene to calm tensions, demonstrators insisted they would not leave until demolition equipment was withdrawn from their community.

Security operatives were later deployed to disperse the crowd and restore traffic flow on the bridge.

As of press time, the Lagos State Government had not issued an official response to the protests or addressed the residents’ complaints over compensation.