Residents of Oworonshoki area of Lagos are now living in fear, following the return of government bulldozers at the weekend to continue demolition of properties in the Precious Seed community despite earlier assurances from the Commissioner of Police and the Oba of Oworonshoki that the exercise had been halted.
The renewed operation, led by the Lagos State Task Force, has sparked outrage and fear among residents still recovering from a previous demolition that destroyed over 1,000 homes and displaced thousands of people.
Eyewitnesses reported the arrival of bulldozers in the community early Saturday, accompanied by heavily armed security operatives.
“The Task Force just brought in a caterpillar to continue demolition at Oworo this morning,” one resident lamented.
“Both the Commissioner of Police and the Oba had promised that nothing like this would happen again, but here we are.”
Another resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the situation as “a nightmare repeated,” calling for accountability from both the government and community leaders.
The Take-It-Back Movement and the Oworonshoki Demolition Victims’ Coalition have condemned the renewed demolition, describing it as “a blatant violation of human rights and disregard for the rule of law.”
The groups reiterated their demand for compensation and proper resettlement of affected families.
The Oba of Oworonshoki, Oba Babatunde Saliu, had previously defended the government’s action, claiming that the demolished structures were built on land legally acquired by the state from his family.
However, residents dispute this, insisting they have lived peacefully in the area for more than six decades.
As tensions rise, community leaders are urging the Lagos State Government to halt the demolition and open dialogue with residents to prevent further unrest.