Residents of Makoko, Africa's largest floating slum in Lagos, Nigeria, face deteriorating living conditions as they conduct their daily activities in murky, refuse-filled water and confront government-ordered demolitions in recent days.
Footage from Wednesday shows locals wading through the water to remove garbage and continue their daily lives amid wooden debris and dark, polluted water. Excavators are seen operating at the site under government demolition orders.
"We, the students in the community, take, get a tape and measure the 100 metre for them [...] they carry on the process by demolishing their houses, pulling the houses down and later on, suddenly they start going beyond the 100 metre. That is where we raise an alarm," explained Ayinde Oluwatobi, a school proprietor in the community.
According to media reports, community leaders, known as Baales, said they had agreed with authorities to a 100-metre safety setback around high-tension power lines.
However, as the demolition process started, they accused the government of breaking that agreement, claiming bulldozers went on to demolish homes and schools as far as 250 metres from the lines.
Existing on the Lagos Lagoon for over a century, the Makoko slum is home to thousands of low-income residents. Dependent on fishing and informal trade, they have seen their livelihoods plunged into despair by the demolition orders.
"Schools are not on because the children cannot be able to go to school. In the entire community, people are afraid; I myself am afraid," continued Oluwatobi.
"I'm pleading if [the] government to look into this process and relocate the people that have been affected and give them compensation," he added.
Governor of Lagos state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said he directed local governments and relevant ministries to provide palliatives and grants to affected residents, stressing that the support is a 'show of compassion' and not legal compensation for lost property. He added that the government is considering relocation options for some of those displaced, although no locations or timelines have yet been announced.
Other basic services, including electricity, water, and healthcare, have also been affected for the community, with the most recent incident reported in December, when law enforcement allegedly fired tear gas and killed three residents.
"A baby inside the clinic died, as a result of the tear gas [...] Four other patients rushed here, unknown to them that the clinic itself was already demolished, eventually all died as a result of inhaled tear gas," claimed a staff member at the community's floating clinic built in the area over four decades ago.
Authorities justify the demolitions by citing Makoko's illegal status and environmental risks, while residents and rights groups accuse the government of land grabbing and providing only a last-minute notice.
Local leaders estimate the population of Makoko to be around 300,000. The community has previously faced demolit
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