A storm of outrage has erupted following the demolition of the Ibibio Community Centre in Surulere, Lagos, by the Lagos State Government, with the people of Ibibio ethnic extraction condemning the action as “a direct assault on our identity, dignity, and heritage.”
The demolished property, which for decades served as the Lagos Secretariat and Cultural Centre of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio (MMI) – a leading socio-cultural association of the Ibibio ethnic nationality from Akwa Ibom State – was pulled down by officials of the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), an agency under the Lagos State Government.
MMI stated that the property, located at Rufai Close, off Rufai Street, Ojuelegba, and registered under Title No. M07300 at the Lagos State Lands Registry, was legally acquired and has long been the community’s symbolic and administrative hub in the South-West.
The International President of Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio, Akparawa James Edet, described the demolition as “one of the darkest moments in the history of the Ibibio Nation.”
“The property was acquired through the selfless sacrifices of our forebears. Its destruction is not merely a physical act; it is the demolition of our history, pride, and presence in this city,” the statement read.
MMI alleged that the Lagos State Government ignored ongoing discussions and proceeded with the demolition without formal agreement or adequate compensation.
The group said the government offered a meagre N11 million for the property, whose structure alone was valued at over N250 million more than 15 years ago.
The association emphasized that it is not seeking financial compensation but justice and restoration, demanding that the Lagos State Government provide a replacement property of equal or greater value and recognise the Ibibio community’s right to maintain a cultural and administrative presence in Lagos.
The statement further accused the Lagos authorities of double standards, highlighting that while other ethnic groups operate freely in Lagos, the Ibibio community faces “discrimination and dispossession.”
Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene immediately and halt further encroachment on the site.
The group also called on Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, and “all Nigerians of conscience, justice, and goodwill” to stand in solidarity with them.
Human-rights advocates, cultural institutions, and the global Ibibio diaspora – including communities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, South Africa, and across Nigeria – were urged to support the quest for redress.
“Mboho Mkparawa Ibibio shall not be intimidated or broken. Our unity, pride, and heritage remain indestructible,” the statement declared.
As of press time, neither the Lagos State Government nor LAMATA had issued an official response to the outcry.