BLOOD AND TEARS: OTODO GBAME COMMUNITY DEMAND FOR JUSTICE

The  Nigeria  slum/ informal  settlement  federation is  standing  in solidarity  with the  over 30,000 people  who where  violently  evicted  in a state –led land  grab  from Otodo Gbame  community  in November  9, 2017.

Speaking  on the  occasion at freedom pack Lagos Island,  Megan  S. Chapman  co-founder Justice Empowerment  Initiatives of  Nigeria, a community Legal   support initiative  said  tens  of thousands of evictees are homeless  and living  in desperate  poverty while the  land from which  they were evicted is used for  luxury  real estate projects, including  periwinkle  lifestyle Estate.

Megan  further stated that the  forced eviction  in  Otodo Gbame which took place  from November  2016- April 2017 was a blatant  disregard  of an order restraining  the government  from  evicting  the community  and despite  widespread condemnation  from the community,  members  of civil society  organizations, concerned  citizens  and the  international  community.  in  a show  of great  impunity  the government  withdrew from court ordered mediation  and proceeded to demolish the community   chasing  all residents  off  the land  in March-April 2017.

At  least  11 community  residents  drowned  during  the  eviction  and many  were  shot and  killed, including   a 42 year old fisherman, Elijah Avonda  who left behind  two wives and 10 children and a young man  in his twenties,  Daniel Aya, who was helping to salvage  his family belongings before been shot in the neck by the state task force police.

Some  of the community  leaders  in a chat  with our  correspondent during a protest match on Tuesday April 9, 2019,  Pastor  Toshun  pascal  and Segun  Atinkpo , condemned   the action  of the government   of Lagos State. According  to the leaders , Otodo Gbame  is a fishing  settlement which has been in  existence  for  over one  hundred  years. Our people  migrated  from Badagry  and had been living  in this  community,  “we were born and bread here in Otodo Ggbame,  our great  grand  fathers settled  in this community  before  we were born .

Now the government  is saying we are not Nigerians just to achieve  their ulterior and  selfish  motive.

According  to Pascal, ‘We have  been  living  in pain  since  the eviction,  over  tens  of thousands of  settlers  who managed  to survive  the  Government’s action  in this case are suffering  the  many  negative  impacts of  forced  eviction, including homelessness,  loss  of livelihood, family separation, physical  and mental  illness, interruption of Education  and death,  however  the people  have been  unrelenting  in their  struggle  for human  dignity  and  justice.

In June 21, 2017 Justice S.A Onigbanjo  of the Lagos State  High court  handed  down  a land mark  judgment  in favour  of the  fundamental human rights of the  water front  residents of Lagos State  including  those  of Otodo Gbame. The  judgement   declared  these  evictions  without  resettlement to be  unconstitutional  in  violation  of the  prohibition on cruel  and inhuman and  degrading  treatment  and the right  to  dignity. The  court  ordered  the state  government  to consult  and resettle all  evictees.  While  restraining  the state  Government  from any  further evictions of the Lagos waterfront communities.  Despite its promises  to the  evictees  and a court  order  requiring  resettlement of evictees, the  Lagos State  Government  is yet to  provide  any relief  or  resettlement  since  initial promises in  April 2017,  the Government  has  ignored  repeated  communication  from evictees whose entreaties were  met  with more  brutality  including  beating  and arresting  en masse   during  a peaceful  protest  to the  Governor’s  office on  15-16 November 2017

The Judgment also asked the Government to pave  a way forward  to join  them  in planning for the  resettlement. However, Otodo  Gbame  evictees  have through  their counsel  field  a motion  to dismiss the appeal against  the said judge which  has not  been diligently  prosecuted  by the Lagos  State government but rather  seemingly used  as  a stalling  technique.

In the  light  of the  continued  suffering  of Otodo Gbame  evictees  and the need for  permanent solution, the organizers  of the  Nigeria slum  information  settlement federation  this day April 9,  join with  evictees to demand the  following from the elected government of Lagos state:

1. Immediate resettlement  of evictees  from the land  from which they  were forcefully  evicted
2. Full and adequate  compensation  of all  affected  by the forced eviction  of Otodo Gbame
3. Justice for the families  of all  slain and justice for Otodo Gbame  people  particularly Elijah and Daniel Aya who were killed during the eviction.
4. An immediate moratorium  on demolition  in Lagos State  and continued  engagement  with the  community to  pilot  and demonstrate  workable or alternative to evictions.

In Nigeria since the year 2000,  over 2.3million residents have been evicted from their settlements.  These Settlements had been in existence dating  back pre colonial days, most of these  communities were founded in the early 70s   by  mostly fishermen.

Then one day crises began, successive   governments  elected by the people used all the brute   force in their arsenal, including the marines, the different military  apparatus  stormed the place with their demolishing equipment;  bulldozed  the area forcefully evicting the people from their homes.

Ironically  a  thank  you gift from a  government, the custodian of the law who is supposed to protect lives and properties but has opted to disrupt their  live hood and   absolutely  terminate their dreams.

According to one the evictees,  Jim Tom  George  in Abonema wharf  Port Harcourt South -South Nigeria,  ‘nobody is against development in Abonema Wharf  but development must have a  human face, people have natural right as Citizens, not a privilege, it is our right. Privilege is something that can be taken away, people have become refugees  in their  homes.

Martins John,  Hassan Ibrahim, Abigeal Oladunjoye,  Paul Kannu and Roseline  Esinsu, some of the evictees  from  Otodo Gbame and its evirons who spoke to our Correspondent lamented over the decision of the government. According to them, the people after all entreaties to the Government, the Government rather came without warning, stormed the place with military forces with their equipment and bulldozers shot sporadically, injured and killed evictees. Some ran to the river and died, their dead bodies floating on the river, people died helplessly, this also resulted into separation from their families. The case of children is even the worst because they have been separated totally from their parents, due to death or homelessness.