Mile 12, a town in Nigeria’s commercial centre, Lagos State, has always been a beehive—bustling with activities. It houses one of the biggest food markets in the country and, some may say, peoples from every tribe, state in Nigeria. This week, residents in the area were united in tears as the Lagos State government continued its massive wave of demolition exercises that reduced once-vibrant communities in the state to rubble, leaving the families who occupied them homeless to make way for something they call progress. David Meshioye was on the ground to report the devastating impact.
Inusa Baba Saara (as he is fondly called) was not prepared for what was to come upon him and his household on the fateful day of December 16th, 2025. His name translates to mean ”free giver” in the Hausa language, but sadly, little did he realise that fate was about to deliver a big blow. He had woken up in the morning believing that his kindness and self-built image, dating back 50 years, would be more than enough to save him from impending homelessness. Having said his early morning prayers, nature took its toll, and he fell back to sleep.
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