Lagos Govt demolishes over 15 buildings on FESTAC 6th avenue

By Efe Onodjae

More than 15 buildings were demolished over the weekend at 6th Avenue in Festac Town, Lagos State, leaving traders and shop owners in shock and confusion as bulldozers moved from one structure to another.

When Vanguard visited the area on Tuesday, demolition activities were still ongoing as several traders displayed their goods close to the already destroyed buildings, hoping to make sales amid the ruins.

Cement shops and other 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 along the stretch, accompanied by officials pointing out locations to be demolished.

A distressed female trader, who spoke with Vanguard, said she had yet to secure a new place to relocate her business, adding that shading her wares near the wreckage was her only option for survival. “I don’t know where to go. I’m just shading here for now,” she said with a sober face.
At a nearby cement depot, workers were seen hurriedly salvaging leftover bags of cement.

Further down, the bulldozers moved towards 9th Road, preparing to bring down more structures.
According to eyewitnesses, the government officials claimed the buildings were “encroaching on the road.” However, Vanguard observed that the demolished structures were behind the drainage channel, leaving a visible setback between the buildings and the road.

Speaking to Vanguard the scene, Paul Nwosu, immediate past Commissioner for Information in Anambra State and a resident of festac, faulted the demolition, describing it as unfair and lacking in human consideration.

“I was passing here on Saturday when I saw them destroying the shops. I was told the reason was encroachment. But if you look closely, you’ll see the gutter and a clear setback. These buildings are in alignment with others. So how did they encroach on the road?”.

He expressed concern that most shop owners were not given prior notice before the demolition.
“I don’t have a shop here, but I sympathize with those who have spent so much to build these structures. You know how much cement, wood, and roofing cost. And then they come and knock it down like a pack of cards. If they gave notice, people would have removed their wares. But they didn’t,” he added.

Nwosu further condemned the government’s action, describing it as “wickedness” and “insensitive to investment and livelihoods.”
“These are investments. These shops provide jobs for people. Our president goes abroad asking investors to come, yet this is how we treat local investors. If the problem was lack of building permits, why not ask them to regularize instead of destroying their means of livelihood?” he said.

“You may be legally right but morally wrong,” he noted, echoing a position once made by Peter Obi, 2023 Presidential candidate uner Labour Party.

Many of the affected traders were seen in tears as they salvaged their goods. Some locked-up stalls still contained goods when the bulldozers struck, shattering doors, glass, and merchandise.

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