Oworonshoki Residents Protest Demolition, Shut Down Third Mainland Bridge In Lagos

Motor postulation connected Third Mainland Bridge came to a grinding halt earlier connected Monday arsenic hundreds of residents displaced by the ongoing Oworonshoki demolition workout took to the road successful a melodramatic protestation against the Lagos State Government’s forced evictions.

The protesters, mostly women, children, and the elderly, occupied the outbound lanes of the bridge, causing a monolithic postulation gridlock that lasted for hours. Chanting protestation songs and brandishing placards, the demonstrators demanded an contiguous extremity to the demolition of their homes and called for justice, compensation, and resettlement.

The demolition has rendered thousands homeless, with galore accusing the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Task Force of giving small to nary announcement earlier deploying bulldozers and information operatives to demolish their residences and shops.

Amid sobs, a nonmigratory told LEADERSHIP that, “We are quality beings, not animals. They came astatine nighttime with bulldozers and destroyed everything. We person obscurity to go. They privation to hide america nether this alleged development.”

An eyewitness described the protestation arsenic peaceful but emotionally charged. Commuters were forced to wantonness vehicles arsenic the gridlock paralyzed question from Yaba, Iyana Oworo, and beyond.

Security operatives, including officers of the Nigeria Police Force, were seen connected tract attempting to reconstruct order, though nary ceremonial connection had been issued by the authorities authorities astatine the clip of filing this report.

The protestation caught galore Lagosians off-guard, with respective commuters taking to societal media to explicit frustration, portion others voiced solidarity with the demonstrators, citing mediocre governance and deficiency of empathy successful the state’s municipality readying efforts.

Unconfirmed reports claimed the demolition was aimed astatine clearing amerciable structures, protecting flood-prone areas, and removing transgression hideouts allegedly utilized by robbers targeting commuters adjacent the bridge.

However, assemblage groups said the workout has targeted long-standing residential buildings immoderate successful beingness for decades.

The protesters insisted that contempt assurances from officials, nary resettlement plans oregon compensation packages person been provided. Many victims were reportedly sleeping successful churches, abandoned buildings, and makeshift woody shacks.

As astatine property time, the Third Mainland Bridge had been partially reopened, though postulation remained sluggish. No arrests oregon casualties were reported during the protest.