LAGOS, Oct 13, (APP/AFP) – Amnesty International on Thursday urged authorities in Nigeria’s Lagos state to halt a planned demolition that could force thousands of waterfront residents to lose their homes. The government had given residents up to the weekend to vacate their homes ahead of the demolitions following an upsurge in kidnappings in the state capital Lagos, a megacity of some 20 million. “Tens of thousands of people living in settlements along creeks and waterfronts, the majority of whom are poor fishing communities, are at risk of forced evictions,” Amnesty International said in a statement. “This comes as a result of Lagos State authorities’ plans to demolish irregular structures in their attempt to improve security following a rise in kidnappings,” it said. The government believes kidnappers are using illegally-built homes on the waterfront.
International News
Amnesty urges halt to forced evictions in Lagos
