Commuters in Lagos faced hours of gridlock on Monday after residents blocked the Third Mainland Bridge to protest the demolition of homes in Oworonshoki. The demonstration, which began early in the morning, caused major disruption on one of the city’s busiest highways, leaving motorists stranded for much of the day.

Read more: Residents Block Third Mainland Bridge Over Oworonshoki Demolitions

According to eyewitness reports, residents of the Oworonshoki waterfront community woke up over the weekend to bulldozers tearing down structures along Iyana Oworonshoki. Many claimed they were given no formal notice before enforcement teams moved in. Some families insisted they had legal documents, including Certificates of Occupancy, and described the demolitions as an unlawful eviction.

On Monday, protesters, including women and children, carried placards and occupied the outbound lanes of the Third Mainland Bridge. Their chants centered on demands for justice, resettlement, and compensation. The protest remained largely peaceful, but the scale of the crowd quickly paralyzed traffic flow. Commuters reported being stuck for hours as both private and commercial vehicles struggled to find alternative routes.

Security forces, led by the Lagos State Police Commissioner, were dispatched to the scene. Officers eventually cleared the barricades and reopened the road later in the day. The Commissioner assured the public that law enforcement would continue to protect commuters while also urging residents to express grievances through legal channels rather than roadblocks.

The Lagos State Government has maintained that the demolition exercise was aimed at clearing illegal structures along the waterfront to improve flood control and protect the environment. However, residents argue that the operation displaced hundreds of families without providing any relocation support. Civil society groups have also raised concerns about human rights violations linked to forced evictions.

This incident once again highlights the tension between urban development policies and the welfare of long-standing communities. The Third Mainland Bridge, a vital artery connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, became the stage for a wider debate on fairness, transparency, and the human cost of rapid urban expansion.