Tension over Demolition of Ibibio Community Property in Lagos

Okon Bassey in Uyo

There is palpable fear and tension that the demolition of a community centre in Lagos state belonging to the largest ethnic group in Akwa Ibom State, Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, a socio-cultural organisation of the Ibibios nation may generate ethnic conflict among the two states if not properly handled.

Raising possible outrage over the development, the Ibibio nation questioned the rational for the demolition of the structure, as the affected property was properly registered and documented by the Lagos state government. 

The Ibibio community in Lagos said it is also worrisome over the demolition and forcible seizure of its historic cultural hub, the Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio Secretariat and Community Centre, located at Rufai Close, off Rufai Street, Ojuelegba, Surulere. 

 The group noted that the property, registered under Title No. M07300 at the Lagos State Lands Registry, spans 758.136 square metres and has served for decades as a beacon of Ibibio unity, cultural celebration, and social service in the South-west region.

A statement issued yesterday  and signed by the International President of the Association, James Edet,  the group described the action by the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) — an agency of the Lagos State Government — as “one of the darkest moments in the history of the Ibibio Nation” and a “direct assault on our collective identity, dignity, and heritage.

Edet, who doubles as the Permanent Secretary, Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Information regretted that the demolition occurred despite ongoing, peaceful negotiations and without any formal agreement or compensation.

 According to hím,  the Lagos State Government had offered a paltry N11 million for a property whose structure alone was valued at over N250 million more than fifteen years ago.

“The property was acquired through the selfless sacrifice and collective of our forebears. It represented our community’s enduring contribution to the social, cultural, and civic fabric of Lagos. Its destruction is not merely a physical act — it is the demolition of our history, pride, and presence in this city.”, the statement stressed.

Why rejecting financial compensation, the group said they are after ‘justice and restoration’; calling on the Lagos State Government to provide a replacement property of equal or greater value and to respect the community’s right to maintain its cultural and administrative base in Lagos.

The president of the group lamented a perceived double standard in the system, pointing out that while other ethnic groups operate freely owing property in Ibibio‑dominant Akwa Ibom State, the Ibibio community in Lagos faces ‘discrimination and dispossession.’

The group appealed to Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo‑Olu of Lagos State, Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, and “all Nigerians of conscience, justice, and goodwill” to wade into the matter before ethnic war between the two states sets in. 

They also called on human rights advocates, cultural institutions, and the global Ibibio Diaspora — which includes chapters in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, and across Nigeria — to add their voices.

“Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio shall not be intimidated or broken. Our unity, pride, and heritage remain indestructible,” the group emphasised.

The statement called on the Lagos State Government to urgently halt further actions on the site and to engage in meaningful dialogue towards a resolution that restores the community’s dignity and secures its rightful place in Lagos’ multicultural landscape.