Three persons have died when their boat capsized in Lagos. They were trying to get away from government officials on a mission to evict them.
A mother, Maoteen Yisa and her child are among three people who drowned while escaping from a government task force on the Lagos Island.
The third victim, 10-year-old Paulsu Akiyah died alongside the pair who got on a boat to evade an arrest in the Ilubirin-Oju Olokun community where they reside.
According to Punch News, the trio are among 10 persons who travelled on a boat to escape being nabbed by the Lagos State government officials.
While seven runners were able to swim to safety when their vehicle capsized, the deceased were not so lucky.
The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit reportedly destroyed makeshift structures put up by residents of Ilubirin-Oju Olokun when they visited on Thursday, August 16, 2018.
“Three weeks ago, the policemen came around 9am and said we should vacate our community. They said we were hoodlums and we said no. I told them that we were fishermen.
“Later in the night, the policemen showed up again and beat up two people who were sleeping. One of them is still in a critical condition. Property, including sacks of foodstuffs, of the residents, was taken away.
“Four days ago, the task force officials came and chased residents again. That was around 11pm.
"While some of them were running away in a boat, they had an accident. There were 10 of them in the boat; seven survived, but three died," says Simenu Peter a traditional leader who spoke to Punch on Sunday, August 20.
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Egun people of Lagos under attack
Maurice Fangnon, an official of the Centre for the Defence of Human Rights and Democracy in Africa thinks the Egun people, the main residents of the Ilubirin-Oju Olokun community have faced attacks for far too long.
The move to evict people living in the area is reportedly as a result of an ongoing construction by the Lagos State Government.
He confirms to Punch that the project began during the regime of former governor Babatunde Raji Fashola.
“About 80 per cent of the people in Ilubirin-Oju Olokun are Egun. They have been facing persecution for a long time now and the situation keeps getting worse.
“After successive governments tried to remove them, we took the matter up with the National Human Rights Commission and wrote petitions on the unlawful killings, forced evictions and victimisation going on.
“There is an estate being constructed by the government in the area, which started with the administration of former Governor Babatunde Fashola, and was continued by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
"The government had chased away some of the indigenes and fenced the estate. The indigenes left behind took refuge behind the fence.
“The bodies of the Egun lady, her baby and a 10-year-old boy were recovered from the water on Saturday, after the police attacked the community on Thursday, August 16, 2018, around 10pm,” Maurice Fangnon tells Punch.