LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Residents of the Oworonshoki area of Lagos State have protested the ongoing demolition of houses in the community by the Lagos State Task Force.
The demolition, which has seen many residents rendered homeless and lose their various belongings, began on 25 July.
Punch reports that a similar protest had been held at the State House of House Assembly complex in Alausa, Ikeja, a day earlier, where protesters were seen with placards with inscriptions such as “Say no to land grabbers and wrong demolition”, “Please help us in Oworonshoki “and “We plead to the Government to come to our rescue.”
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During the Wednesday protest that took place in Oworonshoki, protesters, including women and children, were seen rolling on the floor and begging the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to intervene in the matter.
One of the protesters, Sarah Ogundimu, lamented that her entire family, including three toddlers and her elderly mother, had been sleeping outside after their house was demolished.
“One of us has four buildings here. We have all the papers. They demolished all four. Now, I don’t have anywhere to go. Sanwo-Olu should help us so that they will stop the demolition. We were not informed before they started demolishing our houses. We don’t know these people at all.
“I went to work. When I came back, I saw my house in ashes. This shirt I put on has been on me for three days now. All my brothers and sisters don’t have anywhere to go. All our belongings have been lost. Where do they want us to go? Where do we start from?
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“The Government should tell us where they want us to go. They have succeeded in rendering us homeless. We have been sleeping outside since our house was burnt. If it’s raining, we only cover ourselves with a canopy,” she said.
Reacting, the State Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, said the State Government was only removing shanties and criminal hideouts in the area.
“The State Government did not demolish the homes of the people. What the State Government did was demolish shanties. When some of these people commit crimes, they run into that place for shelter. These were the structures that were demolished.
“The duty of the Government is to ensure that we keep the people and the environment safe. The Government would not just destroy people’s homes,” Akosile said.