As LASG demolish 400 houses
As homeless residents urge Sanwo-Olu to bring out culprits
By Ebunoluwa Sessou
About three aged women have reportedly died while teenagers and children have been displaced due to the demolition exercise carried out by the Lagos State Taskforce on Monday, February 8, 2021 in Oke-Egan Community, Kayetoro by Eleko junction, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, Vanguard learnt.
The demolition exercise which started around 4 am lasted for 15hours as the demolition task force team did not spare any building in the community.
The residents including women, aged people, pregnant women, teenagers and children were among over five hundred family members who were sent into the cold weather on the streets of Lagos.
WO gathered that about three women have reportedly died while some others are receiving treatment at different hospitals in Lagos due to the shock encountered during the demolition process.
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Speaking on the issue, Mr. Oluwadare James, one of the displaced residents lamented that about three women have died and many children have been displaced.
“As I am speaking with you, three women have died; some children, as well as many aged people, are receiving treatment at different hospitals.
Another resident, Mr. Etim Odiase said, “Some of the female teenagers are being sexually harassed on the streets because their parents have nowhere to go. Children can no longer go to school.
“Our challenge is enormous; we have been wandering on the streets since the demolition exercise. We have become homeless, no shelter, we cannot even go to our places of work.
“You will agree with me that the country is faced with security threats. We are also experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 and now, children and aged people have been displaced and become homeless in their homeland. It is pathetic”, he lamented.
Another resident, Mrs. Funmilayo Igbekoyi shared her pains with WO, “I am pained seriously and it is a shame that the government that has failed to provide shelter for her citizens has decided to wreak havoc on them by demolishing, their life-saving investment.
A-80-years old woman who is also a resident in the community, Mama as she is fondly called, said, “I built my house at old age and now the Lagos State Government has demolished my only means of livelihood. This is wickedness and callous”, she pained.
In his contribution, Pastor Abiodun Ajayi called the Lagos State Government to fish out the people that carried out the illegal demolition.
“From our finding, the demolition was a kangaroo exercise. It was done under a guise and the culprit should be brought to book because there was no reason for the demolition,” he said.
Another resident, Mr. John, called on the government of Lagos State and all other stakeholders to rise up and address the injustice that melted on the residents.
