No fewer than 15 buildings were reduced to rubble over the weekend at 6th Avenue in FESTAC Town, Lagos State, as bulldozers, accompanied by government officials, tore through rows of shops and business premises — leaving traders in tears, confusion, and despair.
As of Tuesday, demolition activities were still underway. Amid the ruins, several traders set up makeshift stands beside their destroyed shops, desperately trying to sell what was left of their goods.
Among the structures flattened were cement depots and other lock-up stalls that had served as commercial lifelines for residents. Witnesses said a caterpillar branded with the Lagos State Government insignia was seen pulling down buildings, while officials pointed out the next targets for demolition.
One distraught trader, clutching her remaining goods, said she had nowhere to go. “I don’t know where to go. I’m just shading here for now,” she murmured, her voice trembling as she watched the wreckage that used to be her source of livelihood.
At a nearby cement store, workers scrambled to rescue whatever bags they could before the bulldozers advanced further towards 9th Road, where more buildings were reportedly marked for demolition.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that officials claimed the affected structures were “encroaching on the road.” However, on-the-ground observation showed that the demolished buildings stood behind the drainage channel, maintaining a visible setback from the road — a detail that raised questions about the justification for the action.
Paul Nwosu, former Commissioner for Information in Anambra State and a FESTAC resident, who was at the scene, described the exercise as “unfair, insensitive, and lacking in human compassion.”
“I was passing here on Saturday when I saw them pulling down the shops. They said it was because of encroachment, but you can clearly see the gutter and the setback. These shops are aligned with others, so how can they say they encroached on the road?” he queried.
Nwosu said most shop owners were not given prior notice, a development he called “wicked and inconsiderate.”
“I don’t own a shop here, but I feel for those who invested heavily in these structures. The cost of cement, wood, roofing materials — everything is high. Then suddenly, one morning, government agents show up and demolish them like a pack of cards. If there was notice, people could have salvaged their goods,” he lamented.
He criticized the demolition as “a blow to local enterprise and livelihoods,” adding that such actions discourage domestic investment.
“These shops are small investments that employ people and sustain families. Our president goes abroad asking foreigners to invest, yet this is how we treat our own. If the issue was building permits, why not give them the opportunity to regularize instead of destroying their only source of income?” he argued.
Quoting a sentiment once expressed by Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Nwosu concluded: “You may be legally right but morally wrong.”