Days after the Lagos State Government’s midnight demolition of waterfront settlements in Tolu Alashe Street, Oworonshoki Area of Lagos State, many residents, mostly women and children, are still stranded in the open, with no shelter, no hope in sight and nowhere to go.

When Vanguard revisited the area, yesterday, the once-busy community had turned into a rubble field. Broken blocks, scattered roofing sheets, and abandoned household items littered the dusty paths where hundreds of families once lived and traded in peace.

Belongings were seen outside, with some women with tearful faces while sourcing little items to sell off. Among those seen sitting helplessly by the roadside was Mrs. Rebecca, a mother of one, who said she was contemplating suicide after losing her home, shop, and savings to the demolition. “I just came back from the hospital,” she began weakly, sitting beside a rusted pot and an old standing fan.

“I have a problem with my spinal cord, so, after little treatment, I returned home that night if I could sell few things before my two months old rented house was demolished. I paid N360,000 for my two-room apartment. I just finished paying when they came at night and broke everything. I wanted to killed myself, but my sister stopped me.”

Rebecca, who sold cooked food before the incident, said she had begun selling her few remaining belongings, including her fan, to scrap buyers (“aboki”) for as low as N1,000, just to feed and raise money for rent.

“I bought that fan N35,000, but the aboki said N1,000. I don’t have a choice,” she said tearfully.
“I need money to eat, to treat myself. Everywhere I turn, there is no help.”

Vanguard noticed the presence of aboki all over the vicinity negotiating with some women to buy their properties.

Another victim, Mrs. Jumai, who had lived in the community for 10 years, narrated how she and her children narrowly escaped the demolition night.

“They came about 11p.m,” she said.

“We were sleeping when our neighbours started shouting that the bulldozers were close. We carried what we could and ran out. My house and my shop where I sell pepper soup and drinks were in the same compound. They broke everything.”

Jumai said both her children’s school and her home were pulled down. “We stayed here with the school, everything is gone. I don’t even know where to start their schooling again,” she lamented.