Tears and Hunger in Oworonshoki as Women Sell Belongings After Lagos Demolition

Days after the Lagos State Government’s midnight demolition of waterfront settlements along Tolu Alashe Street, Oworonshoki, hundreds of displaced residents — mostly women and children — remain stranded without shelter or government relief.

When Vanguard visited the area on Wednesday, the once-vibrant community had turned into a wasteland of rubble. Broken blocks, twisted roofing sheets, and smashed household items now littered the dusty streets where families once lived, traded, and raised children.

Many residents, visibly exhausted and tearful, were seen rummaging through debris and selling off their remaining possessions for a fraction of their worth just to afford food.

“I Paid ₦360,000 for My Room, They Came at Night and Demolished It” — Rebecca

Sitting beside a rusted cooking pot and a broken fan, Mrs. Rebecca, a mother of one, said she lost everything — her home, shop, and savings.

“I just came back from the hospital,” she said weakly. “I have a spinal problem. I paid ₦360,000 for a two-room apartment. I had just finished paying when they came at night and demolished it.”

Rebecca, who previously sold cooked food, now sells her household items to scrap buyers for as little as ₦1,000.

“I bought this fan for ₦35,000. I’m selling it for ₦1,000 just to eat and buy medicine,” she said tearfully. “Everywhere I turn, there’s no help.”

Nearby, scrap collectors haggled over damaged pots, mattresses, and furniture, as displaced women tried to salvage what was left of their lives.

“They Came Around 11 p.m., We Ran for Our Lives” — Jumai

Mrs. Jumai, who had lived in the community for a decade, said she and her children escaped narrowly when bulldozers arrived late at night.

“They came around 11 p.m. We were sleeping when neighbours started shouting that the bulldozers were close. We carried what we could and ran out. My house and my pepper soup shop were destroyed,” she recounted.

She added that her children’s school was also among the structures demolished.

“Everything is gone. I don’t even know where to start their schooling again,” she said.

“I Can’t Afford Rent Anywhere” — Grace Manu

For Grace Manu, a mother of two, the demolition wiped out her vegetable business and forced her family into homelessness.

“I sell cucumber and garden egg, but everything got spoilt. Since last week, I’ve not sold anything,” she said. “Even to find where to sleep is difficult. I went to Magodo and Ogba to look for a house, but rent there is over a million naira. Where do I get that kind of money?”

“We Sleep Under Old Nets Now” — Filomena

Another resident, Filomena, who has three children, said she now sleeps under a makeshift tent made of old fishing nets.

“They demolished the school where my children attended. Nobody came to talk to us — not government, not traditional rulers,” she lamented.

Attempts by Vanguard to reach community chiefs were unsuccessful, as palace guards denied access to reporters.

Government Cites Reclamation, Residents Cry Neglect

The Lagos State Government has said the demolition was part of ongoing efforts to reclaim the right-of-way and remove illegal waterfront structures.

However, for displaced women and children in Oworonshoki, the exercise has brought hunger, despair, and uncertainty.

With no official relief measures or temporary shelter provided, families now rely on scraps and the goodwill of neighbours to survive.

Opinion Nigeria News