Police Officers’ Wives Protest Eviction from Iponri Barracks, Block Costain Highway

Wives of police officers residing at the Iponri Police Barracks in Lagos staged a protest on Monday morning over an eviction notice served on residents of the facility.

The protesting women blocked a major highway around the Costain area, causing traffic disruption and forcing motorists to divert through the Oyingbo and Ebute Metta routes.

Carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs, the women called on the Federal Government and the leadership of the police to immediately revoke the eviction notice and address the welfare concerns of officers and their families.

The Iponri Police Barracks, located along Western Avenue in Lagos, was originally built by British colonial authorities as residential quarters for rank-and-file police personnel. The barracks was named after the nearby Iponri settlement.

Residents said the protest was triggered by plans to redevelop the barracks under a policy that allows private developers to reconstruct some police residential facilities in Lagos.

Under the initiative introduced during the tenure of former Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, several police barracks in the state have been earmarked for redevelopment through partnerships with private investors.

Barracks in Falomo, Obalende and Ijeh have already been demolished as part of the redevelopment programme, paving the way for new high-end residential and commercial projects.

Affected police personnel were reportedly given relocation allowances to secure accommodation outside the barracks, a move many officers and their families say is inadequate given the rising cost of housing in Lagos.

The protesting women insisted that evicting families without providing suitable alternative housing would worsen the welfare challenges faced by police personnel.

As of the time of filing this report, there was no official response from the police authorities regarding the protest or the eviction notice.