As we speak hundreds of people are being forcibly evicted from their homes in Badia East Lagos, Nigeria. Thousands more families are at risk of eviction. Take action and tell the Lagos state governor to stop the evictions now.
According to information received by Amnesty International, on Saturday 23 February 2013, at approximately 9am, bulldozers entered the community of Badia East and began demolishing houses.
According to the Nigerian NGO, Social and Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC), which has been working with leaders of the community since Wednesday to try to prevent the demolition, at least 300 houses have been demolished so far with hundreds of people displaced. SERAC said about 200 heavily armed police officers supervised the demolition and several residents who tried to resist the demolition were beaten up by the police.
According to SERAC 150,000 people are at risk of being evicted.
No adequate notice was given to the residents of the community before the demolition commenced. According to information received by Amnesty International, on Wednesday 20 February a notice of eviction was given to the Baale (Yoruba word for traditional district head) of the community – just three days before the demolition started.
No compensation has been paid to residents; the evicted people have not been offered alternative housing and many people have been displaced. The demolished houses included both wooden and concrete structures. Some of the displaced residents owned their homes, while many were poor tenants.
The demolition was halted on Sunday 24 February but there are signs that the demolition will continue. On Monday 25 February the residents of Badia East went to the Lagos State governor’s office to protest against the forced eviction.
Badia is one of the host communities for “slum upgrade” activities under the $200 million World Bank-funded Lagos Metropolitan Development and Governance Project (LMDGP). As in other host communities, the Lagos State Government has failed to abide by the specific terms of the World Bank policies that mandate it to minimize involuntary resettlement and, when displacement is absolutely unavoidable, ensure prior consultation, adequate notice, compensation, and resettlement to those displaced.
Tell the Lagos State governor Babatunde Raji Fashola to stop the forced eviction NOW! Click here to help!
Source: Amnesty International
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