A carpenter, Papa Eve Amossou, has recounted how he lost his three-week-old baby, Morenikeji, during last week’s demolition exercise carried out by the Lagos State Government in the Makoko area.
Amossou said the tragedy occurred amid the chaos that followed the firing of tear gas by police officers attached to the task force overseeing the demolition.
According to him, his wife was attempting to flee the area with their newborn when she slipped and fell into the lagoon.
“On that day, the police officers fired tear gas because they said people should not gather in groups.
“My wife tried to move away with my daughter, and she fell into the lagoon with her,” he said.
Amossou explained that although both mother and child were rescued from the water, the baby was confirmed dead on arrival at the hospital.
“When we got to the hospital, I was told my daughter had already died.
“My apprentice also fell into the lagoon, but God saved him. This incident has devastated my family,” he added.
The carpenter also said his workshop was demolished during the exercise, leaving him without a source of livelihood.
“I am a carpenter and I have lived here all my life. My workshop was pulled down, and now I have no job,” he said.
Some community leaders alleged that more lives were lost during and after the demolition.
They claimed that at least five residents—two children and three adults—died within the period.
A community chief, Francis Samson, said he received reports of deaths from different parts of the waterfront community.
He added that although there had been an agreement with the government to demolish structures within 30 metres of power lines along the lagoon, the exercise reportedly extended to about 520 metres from the high-tension poles.
Another community leader, Oluwo Fasinu Felix, supported the claims, saying repeated appeals to the government to clearly demarcate the affected area were ignored.
However, Lagos State officials denied knowledge of any deaths linked to the demolition.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said the government is not aware of the reported incidents and promised that the allegations would be investigated.
Similarly, Gboyega Akosile, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, dismissed the claims, insisting that no such incident occurred during the demolition.
“During the demolition? Nothing of the sort happened during the exercise,” he said.
The demolition in Makoko, earlier defended by Governor Sanwo-Olu as a preventive measure to avert tragedy, has continued to draw reactions from residents and stakeholders across the country.