Tears, Confusion As Midnight Demolition Rocks Oworonshoki Community

Residents of the Ojulari community in Oworonshoki, Lagos, were thrown into panic in the early hours of Sunday as bulldozers reportedly returned under the cover of darkness to demolish more houses, leaving hundreds homeless and in distress.

The late-night operation, which eyewitnesses described as “a coordinated midnight raid,” began late Saturday and continued into Sunday morning, despite earlier protests and resistance by residents who had managed to halt a similar attempt earlier in the day.

According to multiple accounts, two bulldozers were deployed for the exercise, accompanied by over 50 armed policemen who allegedly fired tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd.

“We didn’t sleep all night. They returned around midnight after we stopped them in the morning. Even as we speak, the demolition is still ongoing,” lamented a resident, Mr. Olanrewaju Segun.

Another resident, who gave her name simply as Kemi, recounted the chaos and confusion that gripped the community. “Tear gas was everywhere. People were crying, children were screaming. We were running in different directions. Many of us have nowhere to go,” she said, fighting back tears.

Residents accused local authorities of targeting their homes without any official notice or proper markings. They alleged that the demolition was being carried out to reclaim waterfront lands for private developers.

Earlier on Saturday, residents had successfully resisted an attempt to pull down houses in the Udi Araba area, a densely populated settlement overlooking the Lagos Lagoon. The resistance, however, proved temporary as the demolition team reportedly returned under heavy police protection at midnight.

“They didn’t mark any houses or show us any papers. We thought we had stopped them in the morning, only for them to come back when everyone was asleep,” another eyewitness recounted.

In the wake of the chaos, fingers have been pointed at the traditional ruler of Oworonshoki, Oba Babatunde Saliu, with some residents alleging his involvement in the exercise. The monarch, however, distanced himself from the demolition, insisting he was not privy to the operation.

“I was once a victim myself when I unknowingly built on government-acquired land. I have no hand in any demolition whatsoever,” the Oba stated.

Similarly, the Baale of Oworonshoki, Chief Olorunwa Luwa, condemned the midnight operation, describing it as unlawful and unsanctioned by any legitimate government authority.

“If this were a government-approved exercise, it would not be conducted at 3 a.m. People with valid property documents are losing their homes in this reckless action,” he said.

As at press time, several buildings had been reduced to rubble, with displaced families sleeping in the open and salvaging what little remained of their belongings. The demolition has sparked widespread outrage, with civil rights groups already calling for an investigation into what residents termed “a brutal and inhumane midnight assault” on the community.

The Lagos State Government is yet to issue an official statement regarding the exercise.