Homeowners deploy scavengers to sites as FHA continues demolition

Amid frustrations triggered by their demolished buildings, home owners on road 91 and other parts of FESTAC Phase II, Abule Odo, Amuwo Odofin, Lagos at the weekend, engaged services of scavengers on sites to sort out critical building materials like iron rods, roofing sheet and others, left after the demolition by the authority.

The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) had last week begun the demolition of 677 houses and partially demolished another 744 over illegal development in the area.

Residents who spoke to The Guardian, expressed concerns that the FHA deployed heavy machines to demolish the buildings around 4.p.m. on Wednesday last week, after giving them a short notice to move out their belongings.

Unlike other areas in Lagos, where scavengers enter demolished buildings sites and smile home after looting, home owners in the area specifically deployed scavengers to search for valuables and sell to buyers who were with their trucks to buy at cheaper price.

Many of the landlords who spoke to The Guardian said the situation has left them confused and drained, while others whose houses are yet to be demolished are hopeful that authorities will not demolish their buildings.

One of the landlords who pleaded anonymity, was seen picking iron rods in front of his house, said: “My property was completely demolished; as you can see, this one I’m living in was partially demolished. Everywhere in the area, houses are being pulled down.

A relation of one of the Landlords, Daniel Mbere, who was also seen picking aluminum roofing sheets and other items from his brother’s building said: “We begged people to help us keep our belongings in their houses. Most of our belongings are buried under the rubble. I don’t know what to do next.

“They didn’t give us a timeline to leave our buildings. I came back from the office and saw them demolishing our building and they fired teargas at us. We begged them to remove our property but they refused.”

A member of Maranatha Prayer Ministry who was seen gathering what is left from the demolished church building, said: “I am here to pull out the things.  The story of this place is really confusing and I can’t say much.

Also, Jonathan Eze, who is a resident of one of the buildings partially demolished in Stone Water Estate, said: “Right now, for those of us that escaped the total demolition, we are not feeling safe sleeping in our houses because the compounds are without fences or gates. People whose houses were not totally demolished or have not been demolished are afraid that the agency may come back to pull down their buildings, so the tenants are looking for other areas to relocate to.

“I just renewed my rent three months ago and I cannot tell my landlady to refund me, and I cannot stay until the rent expires because of what happened to other people.”

“The people that escaped the demolition are those who built their houses years before the government asked the people to stop developing. So, if the people had listened to the government when they were asked to stop building, this wouldn’t have happened. The people didn’t wait and fell victim to Omo Onile. It’s a different thing to have money and another thing to know how to invest; imagine a businessman running his business and some call him that there is land somewhere but didn’t make findings but pay for the land. I feel their pain.”

He added: “Most of the landlords are not in Nigeria. The people that should be punished are the Omo Onile who sell government lands to people. I can’t really blame the government but this is not the right way to go. Most of the people affected are not the landlords but the residents.

“People paid millions for apartments and were thrown out.  Some people renewed their rents two weeks ago. Someone just got an apartment and brought his belongings but couldn’t move in because he came late. The next call he received was a call to remove what he brought because the house would be going down.

“I have heard people say that this is a targeted hatred towards a certain group but I refuse to believe that. But we know that the government may not develop the place in the next 15 years or may sell the land to a person who is connected.”