(DDM) – Residents of Oworonshoki community in Lagos State are still counting their losses following a midnight demolition exercise allegedly carried out by officials of the Lagos State Government, leaving many families homeless and devastated.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the demolition, which reportedly began in the early hours of Monday, saw bulldozers roll through several residential and commercial areas without prior notice, destroying homes, shops, and places of worship.
Eyewitnesses told DDM that the operation was carried out under tight security, with combined teams of policemen and state task force officials preventing residents from salvaging their belongings.
Mrs. Grace Ekanem, a widow and mother of four, narrated her ordeal, saying she lost all her property to the demolition. “They came around 1:00 a.m. when everyone was asleep.
Before we could wake up, they had already started pulling down buildings. Everything I owned is gone. I have nowhere to go,” she lamented tearfully.
Another resident, Mr. Ahmed Yusuf, described the experience as “a nightmare that has turned our lives upside down.”
According to him, the affected community members had repeatedly pleaded with the state government to reconsider its decision or at least provide relocation support, but no assistance came.
DDM learned that the Lagos State Government has defended the demolition, claiming it is part of an ongoing urban renewal project aimed at clearing illegal structures and restoring waterways to prevent flooding.
However, residents insist that many of the affected properties were legally acquired, with government-issued documents to back their ownership.
Community leaders have accused the state government of targeting low-income neighborhoods under the guise of development.
They argue that while poor communities are being demolished, luxury estates built on reclaimed land are being left untouched.
“The government keeps saying they are doing this for development, but what about the human cost?” asked Chief Adewale Oloyede, a community elder. “Our people have nowhere to go. Children can’t go to school.
Traders have lost their shops. Families are sleeping under makeshift shelters.”
Human rights organizations, including the Centre for Housing Rights and Development (CHRD), have condemned the demolition, describing it as inhumane and a violation of citizens’ rights to shelter and due process.
DDM reports that the incident has sparked outrage on social media, with many Nigerians calling on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt further demolitions and compensate affected residents.
As of press time, no official relief measures had been announced by the state government, leaving displaced families in despair and uncertainty over their future.
