The residents said they woke up to the sound of Caterpillar machines demolishing their houses from Wednesday and yesterday.
The area, formerly known for its commercial activities, has become a shadow of itself because of the demolition, leaving residents, traders, and families struggling to make ends meet embittered.
The Guardian learnt that the demolition, carried out by Lagos State Lagos State Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit known as Task Force, affected part of the late Baale’s house.
The residents decried that when a similar construction was done in a neighbouring street, last year, only a few houses and shops were affected unlike the present case.
Some residents said they were only given a month’s notice, which was not enough, stressing that they were caught unaware by the sudden demolition.
A landlady, identified simply as Mama Alicia, lamented that her mother’s corpse was exhumed during the exercise after four years of burial, saying it was sad and degrading.
The Guardian also observed that over seven graves were destroyed and the corpse exhumed during this demolition process.
However, council officials and Ajah market team were seen ensuring that there was peace and orderliness during the demolition.
One of the affected traders, Mallam Ibrahim Shewu, said: “We plead with Governor Babajide Sanwo Olu to come to our rescue.
“Our families, women and children had been rendered homeless.”
Another victim, Mrs. Ada Chidi, said: “l have to manage an abandoned house nearby to shelter my entire family, including two toddlers and her sister, instead of sleeping outside after our house was demolished.”
She added: “l am very disturbed and disorganised.
The state government should tell us where they want us to go. They have succeeded in rendering us homeless. We have been sleeping outside. If it rains now we will suffer.”
Another landlord said: “My compound was demolished because they said it will be used as a roundabout. I don’t have anywhere to go. Sanwo-Olu should help us so that they will stop the demolition.
“I went to work. When I came back, I saw my house in ruins. I have lost my belongings in this process, l am stranded. Where do they want us to go? Where do we start from?”
Meanwhile, the community has been in total blackout because electricity was disconnected during the exercise, while scavengers had a field day, carting away items like iron rods, sinks, planks and debris from the demolition to sell.
When contacted, spokesperson for Lagos Task Force, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, said available records showed that they were not involved.
But a government source said the state was only removing shanties and criminal hideouts in the area.
“The state government did not demolish the homes of the people, but wanted to construct good roads for the community. When some of these people commit crimes, they run into that place for shelter. These were the structures that were demolished.
“The duty of the government is to ensure that we keep the people and the environment safe,” the source added.
