Amnesty International on Monday urged the
Lagos State government to immediately stop the forced eviction of
residents in the state as hundreds of homes are being demolished in the
Oke Ilu-Eri area of Badia East.
On
Saturday, bulldozers entered the community of Oke Ilu-Eri and began
demolishing houses. A non-governmental organisation, Social and Economic
Rights Action Centre (SERAC) reported that at least 300 houses have
been demolished so far with hundreds of people displaced and homeless.
SERAC said about 200 heavily armed police officers supervised the demolition and several residents who tried to resist the demolition were beaten up by the police.
The organisation reported that no adequate notice was given to the residents of the community before the start of the demolition.
SERAC maintains that last Wednesday, a notice of eviction was reportedly given to the Baale (Yoruba word for traditional district head) of the community – just three days before the demolition started. It adds that it has been working with the community’s leaders to try to prevent the demolition since last Wednesday.
The organisation reported that till date no compensation has been paid to residents, and the people evicted have not been offered alternative housing.
Amnesty International’s Deputy Africa Director Lucy Freeman said: “The eviction of people from their homes without the appropriate legal and procedural safeguards, including prior and adequate consultation, adequate notice and the provision of adequate alternative housing constitute a forced eviction and is a gross violation of human rights including the right to adequate housing.”
Amnesty says it is launching a rapid response to this alleged illegal eviction with members globally targeting the Governor of Lagos State Babatunde Fashola and alerting the World Bank to this situation. It hopes to mount international pressure to halt the eviction, and ensure that emergency shelter, food and services are provided for those affected and for Lagos State to engage in genuine consultation with the community.
1008 Housing Estate
The Lagos State government commenced the demolition of structures built in the slum to pave way for the actualisation of the Ijora housing scheme estimated to have about 10008 housing units.
While on a tour around the state to inspect on-going projects recently, Governor Fashola disclosed that his administration was to launch a capital intensive housing estate of about 1008 flats at Ijora for the teeming populace, adding that the first phase of the state’s light rail project, from Iganmu to Marina in Central Lagos, would be completed in June this year.
“People should be able to live close to the train station and walk about a kilometre to their homes. So it is a dream, it is beginning to come together. This is what we saw and we will deliver it. What we are going to do in Ijora from this year with about 1008 housing units is not consistent with a government that is demolishing. We are builders and not demolishers. We are focused; we know where the target is. We are locked on target and that is why we are all out here as a team from our local governments to House of Assembly, members of the House of Representatives. This government is tight, it knows where its goal is and it knows what its people expect of it and would deliver it,” Mr Fashola said.
On
Saturday, bulldozers entered the community of Oke Ilu-Eri and began
demolishing houses. A non-governmental organisation, Social and Economic
Rights Action Centre (SERAC) reported that at least 300 houses have
been demolished so far with hundreds of people displaced and homeless.SERAC said about 200 heavily armed police officers supervised the demolition and several residents who tried to resist the demolition were beaten up by the police.
The organisation reported that no adequate notice was given to the residents of the community before the start of the demolition.
SERAC maintains that last Wednesday, a notice of eviction was reportedly given to the Baale (Yoruba word for traditional district head) of the community – just three days before the demolition started. It adds that it has been working with the community’s leaders to try to prevent the demolition since last Wednesday.
The organisation reported that till date no compensation has been paid to residents, and the people evicted have not been offered alternative housing.
Amnesty International’s Deputy Africa Director Lucy Freeman said: “The eviction of people from their homes without the appropriate legal and procedural safeguards, including prior and adequate consultation, adequate notice and the provision of adequate alternative housing constitute a forced eviction and is a gross violation of human rights including the right to adequate housing.”
Amnesty says it is launching a rapid response to this alleged illegal eviction with members globally targeting the Governor of Lagos State Babatunde Fashola and alerting the World Bank to this situation. It hopes to mount international pressure to halt the eviction, and ensure that emergency shelter, food and services are provided for those affected and for Lagos State to engage in genuine consultation with the community.
1008 Housing Estate
The Lagos State government commenced the demolition of structures built in the slum to pave way for the actualisation of the Ijora housing scheme estimated to have about 10008 housing units.
While on a tour around the state to inspect on-going projects recently, Governor Fashola disclosed that his administration was to launch a capital intensive housing estate of about 1008 flats at Ijora for the teeming populace, adding that the first phase of the state’s light rail project, from Iganmu to Marina in Central Lagos, would be completed in June this year.
“People should be able to live close to the train station and walk about a kilometre to their homes. So it is a dream, it is beginning to come together. This is what we saw and we will deliver it. What we are going to do in Ijora from this year with about 1008 housing units is not consistent with a government that is demolishing. We are builders and not demolishers. We are focused; we know where the target is. We are locked on target and that is why we are all out here as a team from our local governments to House of Assembly, members of the House of Representatives. This government is tight, it knows where its goal is and it knows what its people expect of it and would deliver it,” Mr Fashola said.
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