Demolition squad renders widows, children homeless in Lagos

<p>Several women and children have been rendered homeless as agents of the Lagos State Government burnt houses and demolished others in the Oworoshoki area of the state.</p>, <p>PUNCH Metro learnt that no fewer than six streets were affected by the demolition that started last Monday, with a further threat by the task force that others would be demolished on Monday (today).</p>, <p>When our correspondent visited the area on Sunday, several children and elderly women were seen sleeping outside their burnt houses while some others were taking refuge inside abandoned tricycles.</p>, <p>Some residents who spoke with PUNCH Metro lamented that the state government did not give them notice, adding that people were not allowed to take out their belongings before they burnt down their buildings.</p>, <p>Our correspondent further learnt that streets such as Oke-Eri, Oluwaseyi, Community, Cornerstone, Ogo-Oluwa, Lagos and others, housing no fewer than 7,000 buildings had been turned into ashes and debris.</p>, <p>Speaking with PUNCH Metro in Oke-Eri, a septuagenarian simply identified as Mama Alhaji said her charcoal business had been destroyed by the burning.</p>, <p>The teary-aged woman who had lived in the area for over 33 years said, “They came to this place without notice. I have been living here for the past 33 years. My house was at number 32, Oke-Eri. They didn’t give us any notice. On Monday, we heard some houses were burnt around the riverbank.</p>, <p>“Not long after that, they came to Oke-Eri and demolished several buildings that were opposite mine. When I saw that the houses opposite mine had been demolished, I started packing some of my belongings out of the place. But before I came back on Friday, my house and several bags of charcoal valued at over N60,000 had been burnt.”</p>, <p>Another resident, a mother of five, told PUNCH Metro that half of her belongings had been lost to the demolition, adding that all her five children now take shelter at one of the nearby churches in the area.</p>, <p>The widow said,