Activists Decry Lagos Slum Demolition
<p><span word="Acting">Acting</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="court">court</span> <span word="order">order</span>, <span word="authorities">authorities</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Nigeria">Nigeria</span> <span word="demolished">demolished</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="slum">slum</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="month">month</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="commercial">commercial</span> <span word="capital">capital</span>, <span word="Lagos">Lagos</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="rights">rights</span> <span word="activists">activists</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="order">order</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="illegal">illegal</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="community">community</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="razed">razed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="housing">housing</span> <span word="project">project</span>.</p><p><span word="Thousands">Thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Nigeria">Nigeria</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="poor">poor</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="plot">plot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="swampy">swampy</span> <span word="land">land</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Badia">Badia</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="near">near</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Lagos">Lagos</span> <span word="port">port</span> <span word="home">home</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="bulldozers">bulldozers</span> <span word="razed">razed</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="shortly">shortly</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="judge">judge</span> <span word="awarded">awarded</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="land">land</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="traditional">traditional</span> <span word="ruler">ruler</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="month">month</span>.</p><p> <span word="Some">Some</span> <span word="residents">residents</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="Oluwaseun">Oluwaseun</span> <span word="Aiyenuro">Aiyenuro</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="live">live</span> <span word="amid">amid</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rubble">rubble</span>. <span word="His">His</span> <span word="shack">shack</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="shelter">shelter</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="Lagos">Lagos</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="seasonal">seasonal</span> <span word="rains">rains</span>.</p><p> "<span word="I">I</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="use">use</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="little">little</span> <span word="bit">bit</span> <span word="experience">experience</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="put">put</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="head">head</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="meantime">meantime</span> <span word="because">because</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="now">now</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="explained">explained</span>.</p><p> <span word="Slum">Slum</span> <span word="demolitions">demolitions</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="nothing">nothing</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="Africa">Africa</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="largest">largest</span> <span word="city">city</span>. <span word="Badia">Badia</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="created">created</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1970<span word="s">s</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="forced">forced</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nearby">nearby</span> <span word="parcel">parcel</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="land">land</span>. <span word="Local">Local</span> <span word="leaders">leaders</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="fighting">fighting</span> <span word="periodic">periodic</span> <span word="eviction">eviction</span> <span word="attempts">attempts</span> <span word="ever">ever</span> <span word="since">since</span>.</p><p> <span word="Then">Then</span> <span word="came">came</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="month">month</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="demolition">demolition</span>. <span word="Nothing">Nothing</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="spared">spared</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="clinic">clinic</span>. <span word="Amnesty">Amnesty</span> <span word="International">International</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Nigeria">Nigeria</span>-<span word="based">based</span> <span word="Justice">Justice</span> & <span word="Empowerment">Empowerment</span> <span word="Initiatives">Initiatives</span> <span word="condemned">condemned</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="action">action</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="violation">violation</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Nigerian">Nigerian</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="international">international</span> <span word="law">law</span>.</p><p> <span word="Advocates">Advocates</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="Badia">Badia</span> <span word="East">East</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="slum">slum</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="demolished">demolished</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="housing">housing</span> <span word="project">project</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Home">Home</span> <span word="Ownership">Ownership</span> <span word="Mortgage">Mortgage</span> <span word="Scheme">Scheme</span>. <span word="Part">Part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="project">project</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="being">being</span> <span word="built">built</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="section">section</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="slum">slum</span> <span word="demolished">demolished</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="ago">ago</span>. <span word="A">A</span> <span word="state">state</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="spokesman">spokesman</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="respond">respond</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="request">request</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="comment">comment</span>.</p>
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