What does it mean for 10,000 people to lose their homes, without prior notice and with extreme violence, through voluntary government action in the space of a day? What does it mean for this kind of action to happen repeatedly over decades in a peace-time democracy with near-total impunity? Megan Chapman and Andrew Maki share experiences from supporting urban poor communities through this kind of mass forced eviction in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria: the strategies used to support communities to defend their rights in the face of elite impunity and a legacy of mass injustice; the partnerships formed; the victories in court and on the ground; the push-back; and the prospects for more inclusive and just cities in the region.