Spaces for Change (S4C) has condemned in totality the demolition and burning of homes, a school, and a church in an underserved community behind the Jakande Housing Estate in Lekki, Lagos State, on March 11, 2024, by the Lagos State Task Force.
The taskforce is comprised of the Lagos State Building Control Agency and the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.
The wanton demolition of properties worth millions of naira has left hundreds of people, mostly women and children, helpless and exposed to weather elements, without humanitarian and medical aid, Persecondnews gathered.
S4C said in a statement by Joachim Onwe, the Communication Officer emailed to Persecondnews that the demolition, which began by 9a.m. on March 11, when most residents had gone out for their legitimate businesses, is alleged to be in response to the government’s “coastal alignment” efforts and poor sanitation concerns in the community.
The statement is titled, “The Daylight Display Of Gross Injustice And Inhumanity Should Not Go Unchecked – A Call For Immediate Government Action.”
It said: “However, preliminary findings at the demolition site place these assertions beside the truth. There was no evidence of drainage blocking, nor was the community the closest settlement to the sea.
“Evidently, there are other highbrow settlements closer to the sea that were not considered for this demolition.
“This callous demolition violates their fundamental human rights of ownership of private property and human dignity, as protected by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights.
“It is almost impossible not to think of this demolition as a case of the government wielding its coercive powers against the poor, marginalized and most vulnerable citizens.
“To say the least, this demolition is a demonstration of the deep insensitivity of the government to the current harsh economic realities in the country.”
S4C, therefore, called on the Lagos State Government to urgently provide compensation and adequate succor in the form of medical and humanitarian assistance to the victims to cushion their losses.
“We also demand that steps should be taken to ensure that this daylight display of gross injustice, insensitivity and inhumanity does not go unchecked.”
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