Forceful Evictions and Demolition of Poor Homes: Reward for “Yorùbá Ló Kàn ! ” “Ọmọ Ẹni Kí Ṣe Idì Bẹ̀bẹ̀rẹ̀…..”

One of the songs we sang during my campaign as the Chairmanship candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP) in 2003/2004 Local government elections went like this: A ṣe ilé yín ni wọ́n má kọ́kọ́ wo (2ce). Ẹni jẹun s’ókè, kọ lẹ́tà sí’ya o.
A ṣe ilé yín ni wọ́n má kọ́kọ́ wo.” “ So, it is your houses they will first demolish. Those who eat upward invites suffering and homelessness. Demolishing your homes is their first priority.” This was not just a song—it was a warning. And that warning has once again tragically become reality .

In 2003, we cautioned the Nigerian electorate, particularly the Yoruba in Lagos—not to fall for the seductive “jẹun s’ókè” slogan of the then-ruling Alliance for Democracy (AD). Driven by ethnic sentiment and propaganda, many ignored the warning. They ridiculed our party, the NCP, and mocked our leader, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN), a man who devoted his life to fighting for the poor and downtrodden, earning the title “Senior Advocate of the Masses.”

Not long after the elections, the Bola Tinubu-led Lagos State Government, under the second-term banner of “AD…. jẹun s’ókè,” began widespread demolitions and forceful evictions, targeting slums and communities built by the resilience and sweat of the urban poor.

Through our campaign songs and community outreach, we reminded Lagosians: they had chosen oppression over liberation. They had rejected a party with a people-centred mission to abolish poverty in favour of one serving elite interests, profit, and power.

Fast forward to 2023. Once again, we raised the alarm. We warned against repeating the same mistake. But our voices were dismissed—mocked and silenced. Many, intoxicated by the sentiment of “Yorùbá Ló Kàn”, told us to shut our “smelly mouths.” Those who dared to oppose Bola Tinubu’s ambition were labelled “ọmọ alè.” In some cases, sections of the Òrò cult were mobilised to curse Yoruba dissenters who refused to back Tinubu’s “Èmi Ló Kàn” campaign.

At a rally in Abeokuta, Bola Tinubu shamelessly declared that the presidency was his entitlement. “Èmi Ló Kàn”—it’s my turn. This was not just arrogance; it was a calculated assault on the collective intelligence of Nigerians. Tragically, many, both Yoruba and non-Yoruba—swallowed it, turning a personal ambition into a communal agenda. Tinubu went on to win the most controversial presidential election in Nigeria’s history, recording the lowest percentage of votes ever. The courts rubber-stamped the outcome. Then came the onslaught: removal of a phantom fuel subsidy, skyrocketing prices, and IMF/World Bank-style austerity. The campaign of “Renewed Hope” quickly became Renewed Hopelessness.

Today, Nigeria is knee-deep in hunger and starvation, mass unemployment and joblessness, youth restiveness and cult violence, Kidnapping, banditry, and general insecurity. And no ethnic group has felt the pain more than the Yoruba people—the same nationality that was told it was “their turn.”

Yet, political analysts accuse the Yoruba of a “winner takes all” mentality and of championing nepotism. But the truth is stark: those appointed under Tinubu’s regime—though they bear Yoruba names—do not represent Yoruba interests. They serve only the self-centred political interests of their benefactor and his crumbling dynasty.

To make matters worse, the Tinubu political machine has openly weaponised ethnic hate, especially against the Igbo community in Lagos. This is ironic, considering Tinubu himself built alliances with both the Igbo and Hausa/Fulani, offering them appointments to solidify control over Lagos. In the end, the poor Yoruba masses and ordinary Lagosians bear the brunt of his so-called political genius.

The current wave of forceful evictions and demolitions across Lagos is no accident. It is a direct continuation of an anti-poor agenda that began under Tinubu’s governorship. Now emboldened by his presidency, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has doubled down. Communities in Otto, Otumara, Okobaba, Orioke – Makoko and others have been razed. A certain Chief Tomori, a known agent of the state, leads these acts of demolition and displacement.

In Owode Onirin, land designated for iron and spare parts traders by the progressive Lateef Jakande administration in the early 1980s is being forcefully taken. In Makoko, a youth leader was killed during one of these heartless operations. As always, they leave behind sorrow, tears, and blood.

Yes, victims of the illegal Makoko demolition have been awarded ₦3.5 billion in compensation by the courts—but will the Sanwo-Olu administration honour the ruling? I doubt it. I recall how the ₦5 million compensation awarded to Olawale Salami (Don), Muritala Bankole Rahmon, and myself for our illegal detention during the June 12 struggles under Abacha was never paid. Despite Tinubu’s claims of supporting democracy, his Lagos government and successors have refused to honour that judgment to this day.

Let me seize this opportunity to address the ever-conscious and irrepressible people of Lagos Mainland, the indigenes, Yoruba residents, and all who live and work in Lagos. Do not allow yourselves to be dragged into the politics of ethnic hate—especially against Ndigbo—during election season.The Igbo are not your enemies. They did not enact anti-poor policies; demolish your homes, inflate rents by refusing to implement Buba Marwa’s rent control edicts, force you to sell your family homes and squander the proceeds on Owambe parties and frivolity

The architects of your suffering are not your fellow suffering neighbours—they are the same political elite who have ruled Lagos for over two decades with greed, impunity, and disdain.

Ifá Kìí Parọ
Ifá does not lie. It never deceives—unless the priest is ignorant of the knowledge passed down through our ancestors. Sadly, many Yoruba have abandoned their roots and embraced foreign perspectives and religions. Perhaps that is why they misunderstood the wisdom of the Ifa philosophy that “ọmọ ẹni kii ṣe idi bẹbẹrẹ, ki a so ilẹkẹ sidi ọmọ elomi (You don’t neglect your own child, however unworthy, and adorn another’s with beads.). Had we stayed true to our origins, our culture and values, perhaps we would have understood the deeper message of that saying, and avoided the current hardship we now face.

Comrade Wale Balogun
Convener, MEKUNNU KOYA
Writes from Lagos
13 August 2025