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An update on the forced evictions in Port Harcourt

Video of the demolitions in Njemanze waterfront community last month

Njemanze

Njemanze street , 6th of November 2009 – Hundreds of displaced people, made homeless following recent demolitions, looked on while workers from the Rivers State Government demolished even more of their homes and businesses.

All the roads leading to Njemanze street were blocked by a heavy police presence as more families watched their homes being devoured by the bulldozers sent by the ministry of Urban Development. They had been given only seven days notice.

This latest round of demolitions will further compound the plight of the thousands already made homeless by adding to their ranks.

Most of those who lost their homes to the recent demolitions are still roaming the streets of Port Harcourt looking for shelter; "We have no place to go and no place to keep property and I do not know what to do," a young girl told SDN. "Some of us are squatting in the churches, others are roaming the street while others are hanging out with their relations," another man added.

"We paid the commercial value for these properties," The Rivers State Governor said in a recent statement. This is understood by the new found hoards of displaced families; "The landlords have since left their houses as the government has compensated them." one told SDN.

Although landlords and house owners have been compensated or bought out most of the rent paying tenants have received nothing and no alternative accommodation has yet been provided.

Bundu

Following the killings and arrests of residents demonstrating against the demolition of their homes in Bundu-Ama on 12 October some of the citizens who were arrested were still in detention and have not been charged for any offence.

An uneasy calm has returned to Bundu but residents are still apprehensive of the government decision to demolish the area and are unsure when the police and government bulldozers will return.

Representative from SDN, Social Action and SPIN visited Bundu on a fact finding mission on 28th October and found that at least one community member, Mr. Cosmos Asemeke was still in police detention trying to secure bail.

Other community members wounded in the incident are still in critical condition in hospital including Mr. Napoleon Tukuibeye who is waiting for an operation after being shot in the stomach.
Mr. Opiom, who was also hit by a bullet, blames the police for the crisis; "I returned from work that day and people were demonstrating and the police started shooting indiscriminately at us," he said.

>> Killings in Bundu-Ama Community as residents resist demolitions

>> Read news reports on the displacements and demolitions collated in the SDN Newsroom

>> Video documenting the forced evictions in Njemanze community in September/October

>> Slideshow of life in Bundu-Ama Community