Protest in Lagos over Oworonshoki demolition

Victims of demolished houses at Oworonshoki, Kosofe Local Area of Lagos State, on Monday blocked a section of the Third Mainland Bridge in protest against the ongoing demolition in their community. Daily Trust had reported that the demolition process, which started on Thursday, 23 July 2023, had rendered hundreds of residents of Odo Eran, Ojulero […]

Victims of demolished houses at Oworonshoki, Kosofe Local Area of Lagos State, on Monday blocked a section of the Third Mainland Bridge in protest against the ongoing demolition in their community.

Daily Trust had reported that the demolition process, which started on Thursday, 23 July 2023, had rendered hundreds of residents of Odo Eran, Ojulero and Coker communities homeless.

The memory of the incident, which had left many traumatised, arose in the continued effort last Friday as residents of Precious Seed, Oke Eri, Agbara Jesu, Afijomo woke up to the sound of bulldozers crushing the structures in the hitherto serene community, rendering them homeless.

In the wake of the continued demolition, the displaced residents yesterday disrupted the flow of traffic, leaving both motorists and commuters stranded.

They displayed placards with descriptions: “Stop demolishing our houses”, “We want to take our land at Oworo”, among many others.

The demonstration forced the police, led by the state’s Commissioner Olohundare Jimoh, to fire teargas at the protesters, forcing some of them to scamper for safety.

One of the protesters, Opeyemi Ogunlami, described the action as an outcry from the victims who have lost their properties during the course of the demolition, saying that the residents have been fraught with demolition since 2023.

He recounted that lives have been lost, many displaced and rendered homeless, stressing that all attempts to seek help from the state House of Assembly proved abortive.

He noted that more than 10 communities are to be demolished, urging the government to provide them with alternative homes.