Thousands displaced as fire guts Lagos slum

The razed slum

No fewer than 5,000 people were rendered homeless on Wednesday after a fire razed hundreds of shanties in the Ebute Meta area of Lagos State.

Our correspondent, who visited the area, learnt that the fire started around 2am and lasted for about three hours.

Victims told PUNCH Metro that the source of the fire could not be ascertained, but said they suspected that the fire emanated from a lit candle.

It was learnt that due to the nature of the materials used in constructing the shacks, the fire spread rapidly.

A woman in her 70s, Mrs. Rabiatu Alamayo, who has been living in the community for over six years, said she had nowhere to go.

She said, “I did not even have time to salvage any of my things, I just ran out. I used to live here with one of my children until he died.

“I have been living alone ever since. I have nowhere else to go to and the little I had is gone.”

The residents, who were seen attempting to salvage some of their belongings from the debris, told our correspondent that this was the third time the area would be consumed by fire in the past 10 years.

The Secretary, Ifesowapo Community Development Association, Ishola Agbodemu, said a school built by the community was also razed by the fire.

Agbodemu blamed the government for not providing affordable housing for the people.

Agbodemu, who is also the General Secretary, Lagos State Marginalised Communities Forum, said the only thing the state government had done for the community was to attempt to evict them.

He said, “It is not the wish of any sane person to live in a slum. But because we don’t have good government in this country; over 7,000 people lare now living here. The government has refused to provide affordable housing for the common man.

“We built this community and it has been in existence for over 25 years. However, the state government had tried  to evict us. It was not until an Igbosere High Court stopped the government that it left us alone.

“We have been trying to better our lives and that is why we built our own schools. Unfortunately, a school was completely razed and 90 pupils have been affected.”

The chairman of the CDA, Rasheed Laimid, told our correspondent hat no life was lost in the incident.

He said, “When I saw the fire, I fainted because I knew the implication of the losses. Some residents were able to call the fire service. When the operatives arrived, they said there was no water and could not access the place. After a while, however, we joined hands in putting out the fire.”

A school proprietor at the slum, Mrs. Abimbola Olanrewaju, said although her school was partially affected, she had to tear the structure down because it had become weak.

She said 85 pupils of her school had been relocated to makeshift classrooms where they were  receiving lectures.

When our correspondent left the area, smoke was still billowing from the rubble.