A protest blocked the inbound lane of the Third Mainland Bridge on Monday morning, leaving commuters stranded in heavy traffic.
The protest began at dawn after the Lagos State government demolished homes in the Oworonshoki area of Kosofe Local Government. Thousands of commuters were stuck for hours, forcing drivers to divert through alternative routes.
Residents claimed families were displaced without fair notice or compensation.
The state enforcement team launched the demolition exercise on Saturday, targeting what officials described as illegal structures along the Lekki and Iyana Oworonshoki shorelines.
Angered residents confronted security personnel and vowed not to leave the bridge until demolition equipment was removed.
Lagos Commissioner of Police Moshood Jimoh met the protesters on-site, urging calm and assuring safety. However, demonstrators refused to disperse, worsening traffic and trapping even sick passengers who required urgent medical attention.
Deputy Police PRO Babasayi Oluseyi later confirmed that police restored order. “In the interest of public safety, minimal force was used to disperse the crowd. Barricades were cleared, and traffic was restored without any loss of life,” the statement said.
