Despairing As Hopeville Estate Houses Are Demolished By The Lagos State Government

Fear and despondency as the Lagos government demolishes homes in the Hopeville Estate

As their houses are being demolished, the homeowners and residents of Hopeville Estate, which is situated in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area in Lagos' Sangotedo neighborhood, are feeling helpless and confused.

Security guards and a task force from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABSCA) invaded the estate on Friday, March 8, 2024, armed with two bulldozers and other heavy equipment, to begin a demolition operation that has destroyed many of the estate's buildings.

Speaking about the development, LABSCA claimed that the residents had received prior notice of the demolition and that their refusal to approve the building plans was the reason for this.

The residents, however, argued that the notice was inadequate, particularly in light of the ongoing legal matter. They claimed that they were unprepared for their homes' abrupt destruction.

The estate was in utter disarray when we visited; many of the buildings had been reduced to rubble, and debris was strewn all over the streets.

Some homeowners who are in danger of losing their homes have turned to selling salvaged materials and scraps to scavengers.

Stuff like couches and kitchenware litter the sidewalks, a sign of the residents' sudden uprooting.

Armed police officers were stationed throughout the estate, which added to the anxiety and heightened the sense of unease among the impacted community members.

Videos of locals protesting what they called a “hurried and illegal demolition” have gone viral on social media, bringing attention to the predicament of people affected by the state agency's and law enforcement officials' actions.

Hopeville Estate's residents are faced with uncertainty and the difficult task of reconstructing their lives while the estate struggles with the ongoing demolition.

Residents of the estate are still perplexed by the development, according to one of those impacted by the demolition, who spoke with reporter.

The resident, who requested to remain anonymous, stated that the estate had previously had problems with certain people and was working to find solutions.

“So we were in that process before suddenly on Friday we saw trucks of policemen and our armed policemen and bulldozers moving to the area without any notification to anybody and began to break people's houses and homes everywhere.

“Many people who were living in their houses were suddenly thrown out of their houses and they had to sleep right on the streets through the night between Friday and Saturday; as the rain fell, most of the people were outside when the rain was falling in the middle of the night. The demolition has continued up till this time and it's still we are at this point. We still don't understand who is behind this and what is going on.

“They are claiming that it is from LABSCA. Nothing has been explained to us on why LABSCA is going through this.

“Because we know even if you say people constructed without a permit, that there are processes of integrity tests that can be conducted to confirm whether the buildings are sound or not.

“And then there are penalties for people who have constructed, maybe without a permit to pay penalties to the government, and then we let their properties be in these difficult times. How can somebody, you know choose this alternative as a better alternative breaking down you can say building; nine flats? You know, there are so many people with our houses in Nigeria now, and you are trying to throw more people under the same pressure. This is just not acceptable.”

His account of the tragic event is similar to that of a few other people who, fearing for their lives, chose not to speak in front of the camera. Some of them claimed to be negotiating with the authorities to salvage what little they could.