The residents and property owners in Hopeville Estate, situated in the Sangotedo area of Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos, are experiencing confusion and helplessness as their homes face demolition.
On Friday, March 8, 2024, security personnel, along with a task force from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA), arrived at Hopeville Estate in the Sangotedo area of Eti-Osa Local Government Area, Lagos, with two bulldozers and other heavy machinery, initiating a demolition exercise that has resulted in the destruction of numerous buildings in the estate.
LABSCA maintains that prior notice of the demolition was given to the residents, citing the absence of building plan approvals as justification. However, residents argue that the notice was inadequate, particularly in light of a pending court case. Consequently, they express being unprepared for the sudden demolition of their homes.
A visit to the estate reveals scenes of devastation, with many structures reduced to rubble and debris scattered throughout the streets. Some homeowners, facing the loss of their properties, have resorted to selling salvaged scraps and materials to scavengers. Furniture and household appliances now line the sidewalks, serving as a stark reminder of the abrupt displacement experienced by the residents.
Compounding the distress, armed policemen have been deployed throughout the estate, heightening the atmosphere of tension and unease among the affected community members.
Videos capturing residents’ grievances regarding what they deem as hasty and unlawful demolition have circulated widely on social media platforms, drawing attention to the plight of those impacted by the actions of the state agency and law enforcement officials.
As Hopeville Estate grapples with the ongoing demolition, residents are left grappling with uncertainty and the formidable challenge of rebuilding their lives.
One affected resident, speaking anonymously to Channels Television, expressed ongoing confusion among the estate’s residents regarding the situation. According to the resident, the estate had encountered issues with certain individuals in the past and was in the process of addressing these challenges before the recent demolition occurred.
“So we were in that process before suddenly on Friday we saw trucks of policemen and our armed policemen and bulldozers moving to the area without any notification to anybody and began to break people’s houses and homes everywhere,” he said.
“Many people who were living in their houses were suddenly thrown out of their houses and they had to sleep right on the streets through the night between Friday and Saturday; as the rain fell, most of the people were outside when the rain was falling in the middle of the night. The demolition has continued up till this time and it’s still we are at this point. We still don’t understand who is behind this and what is going on.
“They are claiming that it is from LABSCA. Nothing has been explained to us on why LABSCA is going through this.
“Because we know even if you say people constructed without a permit, that there are processes of integrity tests that can be conducted to confirm whether the buildings are sound or not.
“And then there are penalties for people who have constructed, maybe without a permit to pay penalties to the government, and then we let their properties be in these difficult times. How can somebody, you know choose this alternative as a better alternative breaking down you can say building; nine flats? You know, there are so many people with our houses in Nigeria now, and you are trying to throw more people under the same pressure. This is just not acceptable.
His narrative echoes that of numerous other impacted individuals who chose not to provide on-camera statements amidst the heightened tension and apprehension. Some of them mentioned being in discussions with the authorities to salvage whatever they could.