Demolition: Badia residents demand compensation from Lagos

Residents of Badia East, a suburb of Lagos, whose houses were demolished in February 2013, on Wednesday appealed to the state government to hasten the payment of their compensation.

Some of the affected people, who converged at the National Theater for verification, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

NAN reports that about 10,000 people lost their homes or livelihood in a forced eviction and demolition of Badia East by the Lagos State Government more than a year ago.

NAN learnt that the residents lost about 200 houses and businesses during the areas demolition.

Prince Justus Ilawole, a former Chairman, Badia East Community Development Association, said the people were eager to collect the compensation because of the pains inflicted on them.

Ilawole said that he received a text message to clear some issues on his verification form which would enable him to receive his money.

I appeal to the government to hasten the payment of this money because it will reduce our suffering. I am here today to clear issues on my account number, he said.

The former community leader said that only a phase of Badia East with an estimated 2,300 households were affected by the demolition.

He bemoaned the situation where the affected people had yet to get a place to live since the exercise.

He recalled that they were living in the National Theatre vicinity until 1973 when government relocated them to Badia East.

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Demolition: Badia residents demand compensation from Lagos