A rights group, Justice and Empowerment Initiatives has accused the Lagos State Taskforce of demanding one million naira from residents of Oworonshoki communities whose houses were marked for demolition, allegedly promising to spare their structures if the money is paid.
The accusation was made by the organisation’s Co-Executive Director, Megan Chapman, on Monday during an interview a televised interview.
“What we are hearing is that the Taskforce is telling people to bring one million naira and they will spare their houses, but if you can’t bring it, they bring it down,” Chapman said during the programme.
The Lagos State Taskforce has yet to respond to the allegation.
Recall that another rights group, the Take-It-Back Coordinator in Kosofe, Lagos State, Opeyemi Ogunlami, has criticised the demolition in Oworonshoki, describing it as illegal and harmful to vulnerable residents.
According to him, “Giving N250,000, N300,000 to poor people in compensation for their demolished properties is the height of manipulation in the community.”
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He also highlighted how former Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode withdrew from the revocation of lands in the community, issuing a Certificate of Withdrawal of Revocation of Lands. Ogunlami explained that the demolition exercise had forced displaced residents to sleep under bridges in the area, exposing families to various risks.
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