Gospel Artist Testimony Jaga Seeks Justice as LASBCA Demolitions Leave AIT Road Residents Homeless, Injured

Gospel artist Testimony Jaga has appealed to the Lagos State Government to urgently intervene in what he describes as a “humanitarian disaster” following the demolition of homes and shops along AIT Road, Kola, and the Powerline axis by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

According to the singer, the government’s operation carried out under the justification that the structures fell within high-tension powerline extensions has plunged countless families into sorrow, homelessness, and in some cases, physical harm. Jaga said many victims are elderly people and widows who have nowhere else to go.

He alleged that despite the government’s earlier claim that the cleared land would be used for the construction of a BRT garage and a Mechanic Village, the same land is now reportedly being allocated to individuals while construction of a mall and rows of shops has begun.
He expressed concern that the government’s shifting plans are raising suspicion among affected residents who originally believed the demolitions were for public infrastructure.

The gospel artist further revealed that landlords in the community allegedly contributed a total of ₦25 million, which they reportedly paid through community channels to the Ministry of Environment, hoping their buildings and businesses would be spared. Instead, he said, the demolitions still went ahead, leaving many feeling cheated and abandoned.

The demolitions, which lasted for days, shattered the lives of hundreds. Many now sleep outside, exposed to rain, mosquitoes, hunger, and the cold Lagos night.

One of the victims, Mrs. Adebimpe Oduro, a widow, said her only source of livelihood was wiped out in minutes. She recounted watching helplessly as her shop, where she sold goods to sustain her children, was bulldozed. She said some of her merchandise was destroyed before she could salvage anything, adding that she now has no income and no shelter.

Another woman, Mrs. Esther Oalogun, fought back tears as she described the demolition as “the beginning of a slow death.” She said she has been struggling to find food since losing her business.

Mrs. Shola Ikotun and Mrs. Bisoye Lawal also narrated their ordeal, explaining how the loss of their shops has devastated their livelihoods. They said they now spend long hours in the open beside the demolished site, unsure of how to start again and relying on neighbours for food while they struggle to rebuild their businesses. Lawal said she feels like “a stranger in the community I once belonged to,” describing the emotional impact of watching the shop she managed for decades reduced to rubble.

Perhaps the most harrowing account came from 64-year-old Mrs. Olabisi Osho, a resident of No. 44 Powerline Phase 2 on AIT Road. She said the house she had lived in for over 28 years, one she built with her late husband, was torn down early one morning without warning.

During the chaos, she suffered a head injury and passed out. According to her, LASBCA officials continued the demolition even while she lay unconscious. Now injured, widowed, and homeless, she sleeps on bare ground beside the remnants of her former home. “My husband died four years ago. This house was all I had left of him,” she said, weeping.

Another widow, 63-year-old Mrs. Elizabeth Mercy Oni, said she has now become a two-time victim of Lagos demolitions. She explained that her daughter, who cared for her, also lost her shop, leaving both of them homeless. They now sleep in an open space covered only with a tarpaulin. “I don’t know how to start again at my age,” she said.

Mrs. Aina Adejare, aged 66, said she had lived in her marital home for more than 30 years before it was bulldozed last week. She lost her husband ten years ago and said the house was her only security. “I sleep on the bare ground now. I have no money, nowhere to go, and nobody to help,” she said.

Testimony Jaga urged the government to return to the original development plan of a BRT depot and a Mechanic Village, arguing that these projects would create jobs and improve the economy of the community rather than displacing vulnerable people.

He also appealed for immediate compensation for the victims, especially the widows and elderly residents who are currently sleeping in the open with no access to food, water, or basic shelter.

“This situation is bigger than politics,” he said. “It is about real human lives, real suffering, and real families who have been pushed into despair. These people deserve justice and immediate relief.”