Lagos Govt demolishes over 15 buildings on FESTAC 6th avenue

By Efe Onodjae

More than 15 buildings were demolished implicit the play astatine 6th Avenue successful Festac Town, Lagos State, leaving traders and store owners successful daze and disorder arsenic bulldozers moved from 1 operation to another.

When Vanguard visited the country connected Tuesday, demolition activities were inactive ongoing arsenic respective traders displayed their goods adjacent to the already destroyed buildings, hoping to marque income amid the ruins.

Cement shops and different lock-up stalls were among the structures flattened by the bulldozers.
At the scene, a Lagos State government-branded caterpillar was observed pulling down structures on the stretch, accompanied by officials pointing retired locations to beryllium demolished.

A distressed pistillate trader, who spoke with Vanguard, said she had yet to unafraid a caller spot to relocate her business, adding that shading her wares adjacent the wreckage was her lone enactment for survival. “I don’t cognize wherever to go. I’m conscionable shading present for now,” she said with a sober face.
At a adjacent cement depot, workers were seen hurriedly salvaging leftover bags of cement.

Further down, the bulldozers moved towards 9th Road, preparing to bring down much structures.
According to eyewitnesses, the authorities officials claimed the buildings were “encroaching connected the road.” However, Vanguard observed that the demolished structures were down the drainage channel, leaving a disposable setback betwixt the buildings and the road.

Speaking to Vanguard the scene, Paul Nwosu, contiguous past Commissioner for Information successful Anambra State and a nonmigratory of festac, faulted the demolition, describing it arsenic unfair and lacking successful quality consideration.

“I was passing present connected Saturday erstwhile I saw them destroying the shops. I was told the crushed was encroachment. But if you look closely, you’ll spot the gutter and a wide setback. These buildings are successful alignment with others. So however did they encroach connected the road?”.

He expressed interest that astir store owners were not fixed anterior announcement earlier the demolition.
“I don’t person a store here, but I sympathize with those who person spent truthful overmuch to physique these structures. You cognize however overmuch cement, wood, and roofing cost. And past they travel and sound it down similar a battalion of cards. If they gave notice, radical would person removed their wares. But they didn’t,” helium added.

Nwosu further condemned the government’s action, describing it arsenic “wickedness” and “insensitive to concern and livelihoods.”
“These are investments. These shops supply jobs for people. Our president goes overseas asking investors to come, yet this is however we dainty section investors. If the occupation was deficiency of gathering permits, wherefore not inquire them to regularize alternatively of destroying their means of livelihood?” helium said.

“You whitethorn beryllium legally close but morally wrong,” helium noted, echoing a presumption erstwhile made by Peter Obi, 2023 Presidential campaigner uner Labour Party.

Many of the affected traders were seen successful tears arsenic they salvaged their goods. Some locked-up stalls inactive contained goods erstwhile the bulldozers struck, shattering doors, glass, and merchandise.

The station Lagos Govt demolishes implicit 15 buildings connected FESTAC 6th avenue appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.