Otodo Gbame resident ‘shot dead’ as govt forces eject more people

April 9, 2017 5:15 pm

Daniel Aya, a resident of Otodo Gbame, a riverine community in the Lekki area of Lagos state, was allegedly shot dead during a demolition exercise by men of the state’s task force on Sunday.

According to the Justice and Empowerment Initiatives (JEI), a non-governmental organisation, a stray bullet hit Aya, who was rushed out of the scene, but died hours later.

The organisation shared pictures of residents who were fleeing the community as a result of government’s action.

In a series of tweets, hundreds of the evictees were seen leaving the shambles of what used to be a haven of safety through canoes.

Some of the fleeing residents were trapped on water, as men of the marine police in the team of the task force, prevented them from going back to the land.

The state government had on March 17, forcefully evicted the residents of the said community and demolished the houses, leaving thousands of people homeless and helpless.

The government had defended its action, saying it was done to forestall disaster.

But human rights groups faulted government’s action.

Below are some tweets from JEI:

HAPPENING NOW: Police monitor as houses are set on fire, people flee in boats from #OtodoGbame #LandGrab #LagosFailureStory #LagosAt50 pic.twitter.com/uhBwZjf0Ds

— JEI (@justempower) April 9, 2017
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Refugees in boats at #OtodoGbame with nowhere to go. Police in blue speedboat tell them to leave. Where are they supposed to go? #LagosAt50 pic.twitter.com/BfTlbLNLTX

— JEI (@justempower) April 9, 2017

#OtodoGbame — all residents chased into Lagoon, stranded in boats between Orange Island and a police boat blockade. Nowhere to go. pic.twitter.com/W1nuKpH6wD

— JEI (@justempower) April 9, 2017
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Police setting buildings on fire with kerosene, chasing people out of #OtodoGbame, ~30 gunshots just heard by @justempower staff #LagosAt50 pic.twitter.com/maBN5ptYjF
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— JEI (@justempower) April 9, 2017

LIVE: A young man Daniel Aya just shot in the neck in #OtodoGbame @KadariaAhmed @Makmid @RemiAdekoya1 @stephhegarty @MaggieFick @Mo_Adebayo pic.twitter.com/fFH3Zsxnrt

— JEI (@justempower) April 9, 2017

https://twitter.com/justempower/status/851016591793901568

Baby wrapped in plastic to protect it from the rain. #OtodoGbame residents trapped in boats on Lagos Lagoon. SOS! pic.twitter.com/0RdybwNJiu

— JEI (@justempower) April 9, 2017