The Lagos State Police Command, the main police formation in Lagos State in south-west Nigeria, has rejected claims that its officers opened fire on residents who protested the demolition of their homes, saying no gun was fired during the demonstration.
The protest, held on Wednesday, 28 January 2026, involved residents from several waterfront and market-linked communities in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, including Makoko, Oworonshoki, Owode-Onirin and Oko Baba.
The protesters marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly, the state parliament located in Alausa, Ikeja, seeking clear relocation plans and compensation, while also demanding justice for residents they said died in previous demolition exercises.
Holding placards, the demonstrators displayed messages such as “A megacity cannot be built on the bones and blood of the poor” and “Justice for Owode-Onirin traders,” as they pressed their demands.
Tension later rose at the assembly complex after the group was reportedly prevented from entering. Okay News reports that tear gas was used to disperse the crowd, affecting several people, including journalists and a nursing mother, while one protester was said to have suffered an injury to the leg.
After a photograph showing an injured protester being helped to a hospital circulated widely online, some social media users claimed the person had been shot.
Speaking on Thursday, 29 January 2026, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Olohundare, told Channels Television, a Nigerian broadcast network, that the allegations were false.
“No gun was fired. I was there. I was appealing to them to remain peaceful, but they continued to hurl abuses at me. As a police officer, I am trained to work under this kind of pressure, so I did not react,” he said.
He added that the police tried to calm the situation through dialogue, including contacting the Lagos State House of Assembly leadership, who he said sent five members to speak with the protesters even though the lawmakers were on recess.
“We spoke with the leadership of the Lagos State House of Assembly, who promptly, despite being in recess, sent five honourable members to appeal to them. Still, it fell on deaf ears because their aim was to enter the House of Assembly and cause mayhem, which we will not allow,” he said.
The police commissioner also dismissed claims that the injured protester had a bullet wound. He said the matter was reported to an area commander who checked the injury and concluded it was not caused by a bullet.
Olohundare said the injury could have happened during the rush that followed the use of tear gas, explaining that people often get hurt while trying to escape.
“When teargas is fired, people run to leave the scene. It is during that process that some may sustain injuries. To our records, nobody reported a gunshot injury to us during the operation after they had been warned that force would be used if they refused to disperse,” he said.
