Oworonshoki, after the demolition
The recent demolition exercise at Oworonshoki, Lagos, has left a trail of devastation and despair. The exercise, which was carried out by the Lagos State Government, resulted in the destruction of numerous homes and businesses, leaving hundreds of residents without shelter or livelihood. The demolition, which was reportedly carried out to pave the way for […]
The recent demolition exercise at Oworonshoki, Lagos, has left a trail of devastation and despair.
The exercise, which was carried out by the Lagos State Government, resulted in the destruction of numerous homes and businesses, leaving hundreds of residents without shelter or livelihood.
The demolition, which was reportedly carried out to pave the way for a new urban development project, has been widely condemned by the affected residents and human right groups.
Many have accused the government of failing to provide adequate notice or compensation to those affected, leaving them to fend for themselves in the aftermath of the destruction.
Despite the Lagos State Government’s promise to compensate verified victims, many residents feel the compensation is inadequate.
Some victims have accused the government and a monarch of propaganda and bribery in the compensation exercise.
Our correspondent learnt that the state government has begun paying compensation to some residents, with Governor Sanwo-Olu pledging a fair and transparent redevelopment process. But despite that, residents allege that what is given as compensation is not enough to secure an apartment, let alone developing another property.
Following what many described as the double stance posture of the government, many victims remain skeptical, demanding real, transparent and adequate compensation for their losses.
In spite of the condemnation of the demolition, the Lagos State Government has defended its actions, saying that the exercise was necessary to make way for a new development project that would benefit the community in the long run.
Victims lament
It has been over one month since over 1,000 homes were demolished at Oworonshoki, leaving thousands of residents homeless and without access to livelihood.
Weekend Trust reports that the demolition, carried out by the Lagos State Police Task Force and the Ministry of Environment, has a devastating impact on residents, resulting in trauma, loss of property and even death.
On the day of the exercise, residents woke up to the sound of bulldozers and armed police officers, who gave them only five minutes to vacate their homes.
Many residents were left with nothing but the clothes they were wearing as their homes and belongings were destroyed.
Victims said the exercise had led to a significant increase in poverty, hunger and homelessness.
Rotimi Babatunde, a resident of the area, described the exercise as “man’s inhumanity to man,” alleging that it was targeted at a certain class of people.
Babatunde wondered how a government elected by the people would displace residents without considering the after effect of the exercise on them.
“I was not given any notice before my house was demolished,” he said, claiming that he had lived in the community for over 20 years, adding that throughout those years they had worked for the state government.
The father of three said most property owners in the community paid development and building levies to the local government while construction works were ongoing.
“I wonder why on one hand, the local government would collect such levies from property owners, and on another hand, the state government would destroy the houses under the guise of paving way for urbanisation,” he said.
Another victim, Shola Onanuga, alleged that she was told to vacate her house on the day of the demolition exercise.
“I was told to vacate the premises immediately. Now, I have nowhere to go with my children,” she lamented.
Similar stories of hardship and displacement are common among the affected residents as many have been forced to seek shelter in makeshift camps or with relatives, while others have been left to sleep in the streets.
The demolition also has a devastating impact on local businesses as many traders and artisans lost their livelihoods overnight.
A 60-year old woman who owned a provision store in the area said she had been dealt a fatal blow.
“I had a small shop where I sold food and drinks. Now, I have nothing. I don’t know how I would feed my family,” she lamented.
According to residents, over 50 armed policemen fired teargas through the night to disperse those attempting to resist the demolition. They claimed the operation had not ceased as of early Sunday.
“We didn’t sleep at all. They came back in the night after we stopped them in the morning. Even now (Monday morning), the demolition is ongoing,” one resident said.
Narrating her ordeal, a 34-year-old Fatima said they watched helplessly as her two buildings were demolished, adding that she suffered a stroke as a result of the shock.
Many residents said the action of the state government had thrown them into abject poverty and hardship.
Reacting to the situation, a community leader who simply identified himself as Mr Oyedele said, “We were not consulted before the demolition; and we were not given any compensation. This is not development; this is destruction.”
Abdulazeez Ibrahim, another resident of the community, disclosed that the demolition squad arrived at the area on the night of Saturday, followed by armed policemen.
Ibrahim said, “What they did was awful. The policemen came throwing teargas into the community and victims’ home while they were fast asleep.
“It was the outcry that woke some of us to the realities of our fate. For days, some of us slept with fear, not knowing when the demolition squad would arrive.
“People, including mothers and their children, ran for their dear lives, not knowing where to go. I heard that my child died later as a result of the teargas.
“By morning, most of the houses in the area had been flattened by the bulldozer. Is this how to treat fellow citizens? It is targeted at the poor; the plan is to forcefully take over their land.
“The same thing happened at the Iyana-Oworo waterfront. After demolishing people’s houses, they started sharing and selling the land to friends and cronies after the place had been sand-filled,” he alleged.
Another victim, Okey Ogwugwor, who also corroborated Abdulazeez’s claims, said that after they succeeded in throwing teargas into the community and houses while residents were still sleeping, the demolition commenced. He said those whose houses were knocked down first could not take their belongings out.
He recounted, “People’s houses were demolished with their properties in it. I think that is very condemnable. The Lagos State Government should not engage in this kind of practice.
“To know that this whole issue was carried out with excessive force, we have seen clips; we have also heard from other victims’ accounts, where teargas was used. We know that they have reported stories of where people were actually killed as a result of this. They reported that two people died as a result of this demolition.
“Some have been hospitalised as a result of this exercise. It is really condemnable.”
Lagos police command’s action
Weekend Trust reports that a yet to be ascertained number of persons were arrested for their alleged involvement in an attack on state government officials.
The commissioner of police, Lagos State command, Jimoh Olorundare, on Monday morning sent a combined team of regular and anti-riot policemen to the community to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
The deployment was sequel to a planned disruption on the Third Mainland Bridge by some youths of the affected community.
Olorundare, through the command’s public relations officer, SP Abimbola Adebisi, in a statement assured the public that adequate security measures had been put in place to maintain law and order across the state.
Civil right groups condemn exercise
A human rights lawyer, Chief Giwa-Amu, described the exercise as a humanitarian crisis, saying, “The demolition has been characterised as a humanitarian crisis, with many residents struggling to access basic necessities like food, shelter and health care.
“Reports have it that 22 people have died since the demolition, with many more suffering from trauma, hypertension and other health complications. The community has also experienced a significant disruption in education, with hundreds of children forced out of school due to homelessness and financial hardship.”
Patrick Alam, who claimed to work at Pacifica Chain, said he was aware of the payment of compensation, but the feedback they got was that nobody, as far as the affected community is concerned, was able to confirm receiving any compensation from anybody.
“Somebody told us that a form was being circulated, but that is on the other side of the community. They were alleging that the state government was proposing to pay between N300,000 and N500,000 as compensation to victims for their buildings.
“People on this side have not collected the compensation. One of the victims said it was an insult to plan to pay them N500,000 for their solid structures,” he said.
He disclosed that there had been successive court orders stopping the Lagos State Government from carrying out this demolition, which were issued and served on the Attorney General of Lagos State on Friday, yet the demolition started on dSaturday.
“So, a day after they were served with an order of court not to demolish, they went ahead to pull people’s houses down. That’s the first issue.
The second issue is the fact that this demolition started in the night. Against all standards, it is wrong to start a demolition in the night when people are sleeping, when people couldn’t even defend their properties or do anything to protect themselves. At their most weak point, at their most vulnerable point, that was when this demolition started,” he said.
The governorship candidate of the Labour Party during the 2023 general elections, Gbadebo Patrick Rhodes-Vivour, has condemned the demolition exercise, saying it was targeted at a certain class of people.
Speaking on Channels television, Rhodes-Vivour, who is now a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), explained that the Lagos State Government ought to have engaged the people before embarking on the exercise.
“The state government ought to have held a sensitisation town hall meeting through the local government, explaining the essence of the project. It also ought to have had a payment plan for those affected and where to relocate them. What we saw is a desperate move to take over people’s land,” he said.
The Lagos State Government has been criticised for its slow response to the crisis.
Many residents have expressed frustration and disappointment with government’s lack of support and compensation for the affected families.
The state government has maintained that the demolition was necessary to clear illegal structures and prevent flooding, but residents argue that they were not given adequate notice or compensation.
In a bid to address the crisis, the state government has initiated a verification exercise to identify legitimate victims of the demolition and determine eligibility for compensation. The exercise aims to ensure transparency and fairness in the distribution of relief materials and compensation packages. Weekend Trust reports that community leaders and residents have welcomed the initiative but cautioned against possible political interference. They urged the government to maintain equity and consistency throughout the process.