Two non-governmental organisations have decried the ongoing attack on Makoko community, an impoverished and predominantly fishing community in Lagos.

The described the attack as a symbolically inhuman and vicious New Year gift on the urban poor while calling on the state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt the exercise.

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) and Centre for Children’s Health Education Orientation and Protection (CEE-HOPE) in a joint statement condemned what they termed a gross human rights abuse against the people of Makoko community in Lagos.

This is sequel to the ongoing forced eviction exercise being carried out by the Lagos State Government using armed security personnel and thugs.

Houses are being set ablaze with people’s properties in the houses and with community members including children, women and aged persons scampering for safety amidst a major chaos.

According to community insiders, in a swift and unannounced move on January 5, the Lagos State Government sent the bulldozers into the waterfront community and started setting fire on houses.

“We earlier had a meeting with some government representatives and they assured us that only houses which were 30 metres to the power lines would be pulled down. We are extremely shocked that they came and started setting fire on other houses.

“They came around 8am today and started shooting, spraying teargas and seizing people’s boats. As I speak they have almost reached 100 metres, burning houses down. Many of the occupants of the houses have either gone to the market or fishing jobs or traveled for the holidays and their properties are being set on fire.

“The chiefs were summoned to government house today after they complained about the presence of bulldozers in the community and while they were away, the demolition squad came and started the destruction. This is unimaginable. They are bent on driving us away by hook or crook.” The residents lamented

HOMEF and CEE-HOPE described the latest eviction exercise as unlawful and condemnable and another attack on poor and vulnerable members of the society.

“It is really sad that rather than securing citizens, the government and their agents are adding to the horrors, deprivations, harms and insecurity in the land.

“The assault on Makoko is absolutely reprehensible and unacceptable”, said Dr. Nnimmo Bassey, HOMEF’s Executive Director and eminent human and environmental rights activist.

“The human and shelter rights of every resident of Makoko must be respected by the Lagos State Government. Enough of this dehumanising treatment of the urban poor by the state in cohorts with private developers,” he added.

“It is sad indeed that the state government has shown itself to be consistently lawless on so many fronts especially in its dealing with the urban poor”, said Betty Abah, CEE-HOPE’s Executive Director.

“Just after the savage attack on Oko-Baba, Ayetoro followed by that of Otumara and Baba-Ijora followed by the recent massive eviction of Oworonshoki all of which led to the displacement of tens of thousands of people, the government is turning its vicious searchlights on Makoko again.

“Lagos has an acute shortage of housing, why then is it not making provision of affordable or social housing that is making the headlines from Lagos every year? Why is it the vicious attack on poor and vulnerable masses and massive forced homelessness, most times in direct violation of set down rules of prior and informed notification, resettlement and compensation plans?

“Why are these evictions mostly in direct flouting of existing court rulings or injunctions?” She further lamented the toll of the demolition on children, thousands of whom are typically removed from school following such developments.

“These perennial attacks by a government on people to whom they owe a duty of care and protection are lawless, unwarranted, reprehensible and should stand condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians and indeed the world.

“They fall short of international and local standards of engagements. They must stop now and treat and compensate all wounded members and displaced members of the community immediately.

“Lagos must upgrade slums in line with international best practice and not destroy lives,”

The statement concluded.