Amphibious excavators escorted by armed policemen have roared through Makoko, Africa’s largest and most legendary floating slum in recent days, crushing hundreds of wooden shacks built on stilts above the lagoon in the heart of Lagos.
The operation is the latest of a campaign to remove what authorities in Nigeria’s commercial capital describe as illegal structures and, critics say, reclaim waterfront land for real-estate development.
Three people, two of them babies, have died from effects of teargas fired by police since the clearances began two days before Christmas, three rights groups said.
Residents say the demolitions, which an NGO says has displaced over 30,000 people, were done without warning, a claim the L
Continue Reading on The Guardian Nigeria
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.