Mrs. Ngozi Alo, a woman who was affected after the Ebonyi state government demolished her house over an Airport project at her community in Onuachi Umuezeoka, said she cried over the demolition and forceful eviction because she did not have a place to sleep.
Alo said her case is more terrible because her house was demolished while she was evicted from her home, seven days after she put to bed.
Alo who spoke to TheCable reporter who visited the community to gauge the impact of the demolition on their lives narrated how she put to bed by on the 31st day of January 2020 while her house was demolished and was forcefully evicted on the 6th day of February 6, seven days after she put to bed, forcing her to look for where to shelter with a week old baby.
“I cried because I did not have where to sleep. The rain has been falling on my baby and I,” she said.
Alo explained how she goes through hell during the rainy season. She however said she does not have the power to fight the government, but appealed to Nigerians and the state officials to help her out of the present predicament.
She, however, , acknowledged she was given N70,000 by the government after they demolished and forcefully evicted her from her house, but, said the money is too small to get her accommodation.
Mr. Mathew Nwokporo, the village head narrated how the government and its officials stormed the village and evicted residents out of their homes without compensation.
Nwokporo said some of the residents collected peanuts from the government and that cannot be regarded as compensation.
He has since appealed to the federal government to intervene and assist the community residents who have since been rendered hopeless by their government who is supposed to protect them.
Mr. Sam Nweke, chairman of the Human Rights Defenders (HURIDE), said the demolition and forceful eviction by the government without adequate compensation is a grave human right abuse.
Nweke said some of the residents that government demolished their homes and forcefully evicted them, now roam the streets without homes.
He, however, added that they are not against the Airport project, but, the government ought to adequately compensate the community residents whose homes and farmlands have been taken over by the state.
Mr. Joseph Nwobashi, special adviser to the governor on the airport project, while reacting, said the people affected have been adequately compensated, describing residents as liars for saying they are yet to be compensated.
“Any of the residents affected who claims he or she has not been compensated is liar, he said.
When a reporter asked him why the state government compensated residents with less than N100, 000, he said the compensation is based on the kind of building that was demolished by the government.