A Nigerian court has ruled that the forcible eviction of tens of thousands of people from a waterfront slum in Lagos is unconstitutional.
The judge said the rights of those evicted, such as the residents of Otodo-Gbame, had been violated as there was no resettlement plan in place.
The state government had argued that the clearance was necessary as the slum posed an “environmental risk”.
It is yet to respond but it has ignored such verdicts in the past.
Otodo-Gbame – one of the many informal fishing settlements in Africa’s most populous city – has been emptied in waves of clearances since November last year.
In March, the homes of about 5,000 people were razed to the ground, with reports of people being chased into the water on boats.
The high court judge ordered the government cease evictions and pay compensation.
BBC
