Some of the former dwellers of Otodo Gbame, a slum in the Lekki area of Lagos State, on Wednesday stormed the Lagos House, Ikeja, to demand the resettlement of over 30,000 displaced residents.
The protesters barricaded the entrance to the office of the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, carrying placards, leaves and mats, saying they would pass the night at the Lagos House if the governor failed to fulfil his promises to them.
The group said after the demolition of their homes in April 2016, the state government promised to provide relief to the evictees.
They said despite a court order directing that the evictees be resettled, the state government had yet to provide any resettlement months after.
The spokesperson for the protesters, Olutimehin Adegbeye, who is also the Communication Officer for Justice and Empowerment Initiative, said the government failed in responding to letters from the organisation.
But the state government appealed to the residents of riverine communities in Ilado popularly known as Otodo Gbame, to be more patient, saying efforts were ongoing to verify the list submitted for resettlement.
The state’s Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations, Seye Oladejo, said the government was very much aware of their pains.
He said, “The list is receiving attention and the governor is already aware of the list, but there has to be a process. We are in the process of verifying this list and to determine what the government could do to assist the people that were supposedly displaced as a result of the incident.”