Over one year after the demolition of over 1,000 houses at Oke-Eri, Odunfa Lane, Ogo-Oluwa, Precious Seed and Coker environs of Oke Eri, and Mosafejo communities in Oworonshoki, Kosofe Local Area of Lagos State, the memory of the incident remains fresh in the minds of the victims, who say they are still traumatised.
Thursday, July 27, 2023 remains unforgettable to the victims of the demolition, who woke up to the sound of bulldozers crushing the structures in the hitherto serene community.
As the exercise spread fast, sending shockwaves to residents, some of them confronted the officials of the task force, seeking to know why the Lagos State government decided to render them homeless.
Weekend Trust reports that though some of the victims have returned to the land to erect makeshift structures, they are still living in fear and uncertainty.
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Some of the victims who spoke to Weekend Trust under the aegis of the Coalition of Victims of Oworonshoki Illegal Demolition and Take It Back, recounted tales of woe.
Speaking on behalf of the victims, the coordinator of the group, Opeyemi Ogunlami, stressed that the demolition exercise destroyed a lot of livelihoods, disrupted their children’s education, just as it led to loss of many lives.
He said, “We also want to bring it to public notice that since the illegal and forceful eviction of residents here, we have recorded 13 deaths, which include four children, two men and seven women. This is in addition to thousands of people who have been subjected to trauma.”
He accused Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of not being sympathetic towards the plight of the victims, adding that the pleas for him to come to their aid had not yielded any fruit.
“It is very sad that up till date, the Lagos State government has turned a deaf ear to the plight of the victims of this demolition. Instead of awarding compensations and resettling the thousands that have been unjustly displaced, the state government has continued to issue threats to evict more people from the community,” he said.
He said the victims would continue to agitate through both the judiciary and other means to press their demands, including the need to recover their land and compensation for their demolished buildings.
Read more: https://dailytrust.com/13-months-after-oworonshoki-demolition-victims-seek-answers-help/
