Tension is rising in Lagos as women from the Ilaje community have threatened to embark on nude protests over the demolition of their ancestral homes.

On Tuesday, despite heavy rainfall, hundreds of Ilaje indigenes under the banner of Egbe Omo Ilaje staged a protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja. They called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Speaker Mudashiru Obasa to urgently intervene.

The protesters accused some traditional rulers of acting as land grabbers, orchestrating the demolition of Ilaje communities under the guise of authority.

One elderly protester, Mama Ifagbemi, declared that she and other women were ready to take their anger to the palaces of the monarchs if the government failed to act.

“We are the original settlers of Lagos. If the government refuses to meet our demands, we will strip ourselves and storm the palaces of these monarchs. We want peace, and we want justice,” she said.

The President-General of Egbe Omo Ilaje Worldwide, Rafael Irowainu, alleged that some monarchs were exploiting the name of President Bola Tinubu to justify their actions, which he described as fraudulent and lawless.

He further claimed that many of the monarchs involved were not even Lagos indigenes but hailed from Osun and Ekiti states.

“None of these monarchs built Lagos. Yet, they oppress us because of political advantage. These demolitions without court orders will only worsen insecurity and homelessness,” Irowainu warned.

Other protesters, including landlords, lamented that families had been rendered homeless and properties destroyed. Prince Oluwajimusu, the Lagos State Chairman of the group, condemned what he described as attempts 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. We will not continue to live as slaves in our own land. By 2027, we will decide our political future,” he declared.

The protest has heightened concerns over the growing tension between the Ilaje community and some Lagos monarchs, as the people demand justice, compensation, and the protection of their ancestral rights.