LAGOS — In a stinging rebuke that has sent shockwaves across social media, renowned British travel vlogger Nick Fisher, popularly known as Indigo Traveller, has accused the Lagos State Government of “horrific” cruelty following the summary demolition of an orphanage he helped fund.
Fisher, whose global documentaries often shine a light on humanitarian crises, revealed on Wednesday morning, February 11, 2026, that the facility—built at a cost of over ₦100 million through international crowdfunding—was razed to the ground without any prior warning or legal notice. The demolition has reportedly rendered dozens of vulnerable children homeless, forcing them back onto the streets of a city already reeling from a vanishing middle class and a staggering ₦152 trillion national debt.
‘They Abandoned Them Twice’
Visibly emotional in a viral video update, the vlogger did not mince words regarding the perceived apathy of the state authorities. “The Lagos State Government destroyed the orphanage, which we built at a cost of over ₦100 million, without any warning or prior notice, rendering the children homeless,” Fisher stated. “This is horrific because these are the same children they abandoned and never cared for.”
The orphanage, which served as a “safe haven” for displaced and abandoned youths, is located in an area that has recently seen a spate of government-led demolitions aimed at “urban renewal” and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
A Pattern of ‘Executive Impunity’?
The outcry from Indigo Traveller echoes the recent “bragging” of Works Minister David Umahi, who admitted to ordering land acquisitions simply because owners “made trouble.” Critics argue that the demolition of the orphanage is another symptom of what Nasir El-Rufai recently called ‘Regime Security’—protecting political and infrastructural interests while the most vulnerable are discarded.
Fisher’s allegations coincide with a period of severe national scrutiny:
- The Corruption Index: Only yesterday, Transparency International ranked Nigeria 142nd in the world, noting that institutional decay and selective justice are at an all-time high.
- The NSITF Scandal: Reports of an NSITF CEO allegedly managing a ₦297 billion fund without limits have left many asking why such wealth is not used to protect the 133 million Nigerians in poverty.
International Fallout
The vlogger’s massive reach—with over 4 million subscribers—ensures that this “Lagos tragedy” will be seen by a global audience, potentially undermining First Lady Oluremi Tinubu’s recent $9 million lobbying efforts in Washington to “burnish the administration’s image.”
“You cannot be in Washington talking about ‘blessings’ and ‘religious freedom’ while you are rendering orphans homeless in your own backyard,” one human rights activist noted in response to the video.
Government Silence
As of midday Wednesday, the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has not issued a formal rebuttal. However, in previous cases, the state has maintained that “illegal structures” without proper titles are liable for demolition regardless of their philanthropic purpose.
For the homeless children of the razed orphanage, the debate over “titles” and “encroachment” offers little comfort as petrol prices near ₦1,000 per litre and the cost of basic survival reaches a breaking point.
