Police dismiss gunfire allegations during anti-demolition march

The Lagos State Police Command has firmly rejected claims that officers fired shots at demonstrators protesting the demolition of homes, asserting that “no gun was fired” during the march.

Police Commissioner Jimoh Olohundare made the remarks in a Channels TV interview on Thursday, addressing widespread anger over images circulating online of an injured protester allegedly shot during a rally outside the Lagos State House of Assembly in Alausa.

The demonstrators, drawn from communities such as Makoko and Oko Baba, had marched to the Assembly to demand fair compensation and relocation after their homes were demolished. A photo of a wounded march participant sparked claims on social media that police had opened fire.

Responding to the allegations, Olohundare said: “No gun was fired throughout the entire process of the protests yesterday. What we used was the minimum force of using teargas to disperse them.”

He added that officers were deployed early to maintain order and deter criminal elements from hijacking the protest, and that the situation escalated when unidentified individuals joined and blocked major roads leading to the Assembly.

The police chief reiterated that the command respects peaceful demonstrations and is committed to ensuring they are protected, but stressed that no firearms were discharged during the incident.