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00:00People came to our community yesterday, started marking houses, shops, remove, remove, and
00:10we are so strange on that.
00:13On February 12, 2025, residents of Utumara community in Ibutemete, Lagos, took to the
00:19street in a desperate plea to save their homes from demolition.
00:23The community protested against the planned demolition, which was slated to take place
00:28just 48 hours after the notice was served.
00:31We are here in respect of our community, Utumara, in Lagos, Milan, Ibutemete and West.
00:38Some people came to our community yesterday afternoon, marking our houses, gave us two
00:44days notice that they will come and demolish our houses.
00:48We are here to protest against our property in the community.
00:52Initially, there is an agency that came to the community about a couple of months back.
00:58They came there, they said they want to regenerate the community, and we did not go against it.
01:04I wish they told us that it's going to be an inclusive government.
01:07We said we want to live in an urban environment, and we believe that if we are inclusive in
01:13the course of their process, all of us, we enjoy, we won't be chased away.
01:18I don't want a situation whereby we have lived for years in an environment, and suddenly
01:23they just chase us out.
01:24I will now start seeing an external body that came there to come and take over our environment.
01:29That place was a swampy area.
01:31We have developed to the extent of our power, so they should leave us to live there.
01:35We have a right to live.
01:36We have been hearing rumours, and they said any outer of rumour there must be an evidence
01:40of truth.
01:42Some neighbouring community that is very close to our community, they have been demolished
01:46illegally.
01:47We are hearing the rumour that we are the next target.
01:51For years today, many of us have gone to our places of work.
01:55They just call us there.
01:56They call us there and they told us that some agency, Labscap, they are in the community
02:02with a multitude of policemen, and they are marking all our buildings in the community.
02:08And they are marking all our buildings in the community, which they told them that they
02:11gave them 48 hours.
02:12It's an injustice to just pose us like that.
02:16We are an indigent.
02:17We are not causing havoc.
02:20We contribute to the government.
02:21Why should they do us like that?
02:23It's an injustice.
02:24So they should leave us, and we are cooperating, contributing to the development of government
02:29with our health care there.
02:30There is primary school there.
02:31There is secondary school there.
02:32Why should they do that sort to us?
02:34As the community faces the threat of displacement, the residents of Utumara community are reaching
02:39out to the Lagos State Government for an urgent intervention and assistance, hoping to find
02:44a solution that will spare their homes and livelihoods.
02:47Government should give us time.
02:49Government should develop for us.
02:52Before then, they should now find a place for us to stay.
02:57They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:02They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:06They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:09They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:12They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:15They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:18They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:21They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:24They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:27They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:30They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:33They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:35They are asking us to just quit like that, with children and women, you know.
03:38After talking to several residents of Otumara Community,
03:41it's clear that the threat of demolition has left many families in a state of uncertainty and fear.
03:48Stay with us as we continue to follow this story and bring you more updates.
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