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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
IIaje is located in east of the Lagos lagoon, below the Third Mainland Bridge. It is sandwiched between the Akoka and Bariga end of the Lagos Mainland.
The area meets the description of the word ‘slum’ and also fits the western world’s image of a third world poverty-stricken community.
The densely populated community is very rich in squalor, it is characterized by all sorts of substandard living, dirt-poor economy, skyrocketing prevalence of diseases and absence of potable water.
Ilaje has infrastructural deficit. The structures there are dreadful, made mostly of wood, which are regarded as homes.
Typically, houses were built close to the water, until the prohibition by the state government of houses near a body of water which forced the inhabitants to build houses of bricks and cement blocks.
The aged and the unemployed dominate the area. Those who boast of employment are engaged in unskilled, transient work, predominantly clearing of construction sites and haulage services.
The community also has a flood of children. Nearly every house there has at least 10 young ones. Ilaje is not occupied by indigenes alone. As a haven for all that have no hope, its legions of inhabitants are drawn from near and far – as far as Benin Republic.
Recently, the inhabitants were sacked from the area by the Lagos State government because of the condition of the community. The inhabitants were reportedly given a notice to quit, which they ignored. When they were in deep sleep, the government came with bulldozers and demolished all the structures in the community.
Most of them did not salvage anything from their houses and shops during the demolition because they thought that the government would give them more time to vacate the area.
At least 1,300 Ebonyi people living in that area were affected by the demolition. Governor Francis Nwifuru, who was touched by their plight, ordered their evacuation to the state. But only over 800 of them agreed to return home
Samuel Nwogha was among those that were repatriated to the state. He told Daily Sun that he didn’t salvage anything from his house and shop during the demolition.
He called on the state government to intervene in the suffering he was passing through following the destruction of his means of livelihood by assisting him to begin life afresh. He said he wouldn’t like to venture into crime as a result of idleness and appealed to Nwifuru to help him even as he thanked the governor for bringing him back to Ebonyi State.
He regretted that Lagos State government didn’t give them sufficient time to vacate Ilaje, saying that one-week notice given the inhabitants was not enough.
“Lagos State government said we should leave Ilaje. They came and destroyed our properties, houses, shops and everything we had there, and since then we have not recovered from the trauma we are passing through as a result of what they did to us.
“They gave us only one week to vacate the place, and immediately after that one week, they came and demolished everything we had there. We pleaded to them to give us one month, two or even three months and they said no, and gave us only one week.
“Very early in the morning after that one week, they came and demolished everything. Many people didn’t know when they came and they didn’t bring out anything from their houses and shops. Even myself, I didn’t bring out anything from my own place. I returned to Ebonyi with nothing.
“I want our state government to assist me so that I will not become a thief in order to survive. I don’t want to engage in crime for survival, I need something doing,” he stated.
Another victim, Charity Okeosisi, said: “They destroyed my house and shops. There was nothing for me and my family and there was no money to pay for accommodation. We were just stranded and heard that our governor brought buses for us to go back to Ebonyi State.
“Lagos State government told us that they have sold the land, that we should vacate the land. We didn’t know what to do. They destroyed our houses and shops there and we became frustrated. Even as I am now, I don’t know what to do or where to start.
“I don’t have any helper. I have six children. I don’t know what to do, maybe my family will be feeding us as we have returned to our state. I don’t have any money. When they destroyed our houses and shops, thieves looted our property and other valuable items. They also stole our cash.”
On her part, Nnenna Onu said: “They demolished where we were living in Lagos and our governor sent buses to evacuate us. We are stranded and we don’t know where to start. I want out state government to give me money to start business. I don’t want to go back to Lagos again; let me stay in my village because there is no place like home.”
For Uche Okoro, an aged man, life has been very difficult for him since his property was demolished. He noted that he also lost his shop, apart from his house, in the demolition.
Okoro said: “They gave us some weeks to leave the place we were living. After that, they came and demolished all our buildings and we became stranded because we had no money to get houses and other properties they destroyed.
“We lost our businesses too and other means of livelihood. I want our government to assist us to start life afresh. We thank our governor for bringing us back to our dear state but we need to have something doing to survive this pains they caused us in Lagos.”
Regina Okorie, also speaking to Daily Sun, said she was still stranded after her rescue by Governor Nwifuru because she lost her means of livelihood and had nobody to assist her to eke a living.
She said: “Without our governor, I wouldn’t have afforded transport money back to Ebonyi State. I don’t have a father, I don’t have mother. I don’t have anyone to assist me. God used our governor to rescue me.
“I need help in all ramifications. I need serious help. I need to have something doing to survive this hardship they inflicted on me in Lagos.”
No fewer than 800 Ebonyi indigenes in Ilaje, Lagos State, who were displaced have been evacuated by the Ebonyi State government.
Meanwhile, the focal person of Ebonyi indigenes in diaspora, Chief Valentine Okike, said the victims were living in open places, including bridges, after the demolition, thereby exposing them to danger, which touched Governor Nwifuru and he ordered their immediate evacuation. He disclosed that children between three and four were among those displaced after the demolition.
Okike, who is the state commissioner for special duties, said: “We were officially informed on Monday that Ebonyi people in Ilaje, Island Lagos, were displaced and our governor ordered that I should go and bring them to our dear state. I went to Lagos and brought them back.
“It was an eyesore seeing small children below three or four years living in open places, under the bridge. These people really went through hardship and it was on that basis that the governor said, no, I will not allow my people to continue to suffer, and immediately mandated me to bring them back home.
“Buses were made available to bring them back home and their situation was terribly bad. I can authoritatively tell you that for those of them that wanted to come back, all of them are back home.
“It is not only Ebonyi people that their properties were demolished. There were other people from other states who were also affected by the demolition. But I can tell you that it is only Ebonyi State government that took that proactive measure by bringing them back home and I can understand what the governor was trying to avoid because he believes in good governance.”
