Lagos Tenants Protest Soaring Rent; Joe Igbokwe Urges Government Action

Lagos residents staged a protest on Tuesday over what they described as unreasonable and exorbitant rent increases, calling on the Lagos State Government to intervene.

The demonstration, marked by placards reading “Enough is enough”, “Rent increase should be regulated”, and “We say no to overpriced house rent”, highlighted growing frustration among tenants across the state.

Igbokwe Condemns Landlords’ Practices

APC chieftain Joe Igbokwe criticized landlords for what he described as greed and lack of empathy toward tenants. Posting on Facebook, he said:

“Government needs to do something fast to call greedy landlords to order, especially in Lagos. There is no control anymore. Landlords are pushing Nigerians to steal in order to rent a house.

“They are vicious, show no mercy, no empathy. They are collecting high rents from houses they built in 1970. LASG can do something fast about the scourge. It is killing businesses. It is inhuman.”

Igbokwe’s comments underline the growing public outcry over housing affordability in Lagos, where rent inflation has increasingly burdened residents and small businesses.

Calls for Government Intervention

Tenants and activists are urging the state government to implement rent control measures and strengthen oversight of landlords and property agents. They warn that unchecked rent hikes could exacerbate poverty and social tensions in Nigeria’s commercial capital.

The Lagos State Government has yet to respond publicly to the protest or Igbokwe’s call for intervention.