After eviction, homeless Tarkwa Bay residents sleep in jetties, under Lagos bridges

She stuttered; it was difficult to hide her frustration. As she spoke with Tribune Online Mrs Oluwakemi Abiodun wept intermittently as she recalled that painful visitation by a joint military operation. “I have lived in Tarkwa Bay since 1990. My husband is from Togo but I am from Ondo State. I got married here. I have two children. When the naval officers, they started shooting; they drove us out. Now we do not know where to go,” she stated.

Tarkwa Bay: Once a darling beach resort

Like Mrs Abiodun, Tarkwa Bay served as home for many Nigerians and non-nationals alike. Due to its island status, it is only accessible by boat or water taxis. The beach, popular with swimmers and water-sports enthusiasts, also had a welcoming resident community. Part of the place was leased out to some multinational companies such as Dunlop, Lever Brothers (now Unilever).

Over time, these companies reportedly moved from Nigeria and left some of these properties. Gradually because of the accommodation challenges, some people found their ways there. Some reputable organisations also have beach houses there but because of growing reports of pipeline vandalism, they could not use the place again.

The beautiful resort brought in both foreign and local fun-seekers who visited the island and this continued during festive seasons.

…Of pipeline vandals, pirates and sea robbers

Tarkwa Bay is one of the several communities sprawling the Atlas Cove, home to a major NNPC pipeline. The demolition exercise which started in 2019 was meant to flush out those who had perfected the act of sabotaging the nation’s pipelines. In the 18-kilometre stretch of the Atlas Cove, the vandals are said to be from neighbouring countries. They were reported to have built settlements and breached the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s (NNPC) pipelines, dug wells and stole fuel in several thousands of jerry cans back to their countries.

Not less than three points of pipelines of the NNPC were discovered to be used in illegally siphoning oil. Residents who have been forcefully evicted claimed that they have become victims to an organised crime and are now paying dearly to ‘Operation Kuro nbe’ (meaning, leave there) carried out by a joint military operation until the Atlas Cove of every person or organisation suspected to be a threat to the nation’s national asset.

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Speaking on the reason behind the dislodgement of the residents, Rear Admiral Oladele Daji, FOC, Western Naval Command, in an interview monitored by the Nigerian Tribune on Channels TV, stated that, “Since the operation started on December 5, 2019, we have not recorded any casualty as opposed to what has been peddled on the social media and no legitimate structure on any of path of the clearance operation was demolished.

“It is difficult to know how many people live in Tarkwa Bay. What we have are mostly shanties. This operation was borne out of the fact that the country was losing a lot of petroleum products along the pipelines due to the activities of vandals. Most of these products end up through the waterways into neighbouring countries. That is clearly economic sabotage. We found thousands of jerry cans, hoses and other tools used in vandalising pipelines. We found hand-dug wells at the backyards of these buildings. Tarkwa Bay is non-residential.”

‘We were woken up with whips, sporadic shooting’

For many displaced residents of the island, the CMS jetty currently serves as a shelter for them. At the CMS jetty, their belongings could be seen stationed in strategic corners of the jetty.

Efe Okudili, once a resident of Tarkwa Bay told Nigerian Tribune of his frustration. “We were sacked from our homes as if we are not Nigerians. I work at sea and lived on the Island because it was closer to my workplace. We were woken up from our beds with whips and sporadic shooting in the air. I initially thought they were thieves due to the persistent shooting, but later saw their uniforms and realised they were personnel of the Nigerian Navy

“Even the traditional rulers on the Island were not spared. They were beaten and later asked to carry their properties and leave the island.

“Some of my colleagues have been sleeping at the CMS jetty since the day of eviction because many don’t know where to go since they have lived all their lives on the island. For me, I have scattered my belonging among some of my friends in Obalende.  If they had given us notice of eviction, things would have been better. This is not democracy at all. Some of us have stayed on the Tarkwa Bay Island for more than 15 years. I know some people who were actually born there, and don’t know any other place,” he said.

For 16-year-old Telejor, another victim of the eviction, the CMS jetty has provided a safe haven for her family’s properties for now. According to her, “Since the evacuation, we have had to stay here (inside the CMS jetty) until my mother gets a better alternative.

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“My mother has gone to Ajah to see if we can move there. She has friends there. As you can see, our properties are still here inside the jetty. The people running this jetty have been sympathetic.”

‘Government should sort this out’

Austin Dozie, another resident condemned the act saying, “The naval people came and asked us to leave the land. They came and started shooting. Two people were shot. We have been rendered homeless; where do we go? Our loads are still there but we cannot go there to pick them up. What makes one commit suicide is little and that’s why the government should sort this out.”

‘Everything I ever worked for has been destroyed’

Stanley Obibiaro lamented his loss. According to him, “All my life, I have been in Tarkwa Bay. I was born and brought up there. Nobody told us to leave the place and we don’t know why they sent us packing. Everything I worked for is there and it has been destroyed including the vehicle that I work with.”

‘I was tied up, beaten with a cutlass’

Emmanuel Dickson narrated his ordeal when he was sent packing out of Tarkwa Bay. “My younger brother called me that people were being chased out of Tarkwa Bay. I rushed to pick up my children. in the process, the naval officers hit me with a cutlass and I was later tied up. As I speak with you, I have not been able to find my younger brother. I am from Port Harcourt. I lived in Tarkwa Bay for over 15 years,” he said.

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‘We are refugees in our country’

Pius Preye, a victim of the eviction, while condemning acts of sabotage in pipeline vandalism, however, stated that victims have now become handicapped by the act. “What is the scope of this eviction? We are not saying that they should not evict people on the pipeline. We don’t want people to sabotage the nation’s economic assets. That is unacceptable. We cannot support pipeline vandalism. We should not forget that these people have become handicapped. We are now refugees in our country,” he informed.

A resident of the island, Muhammed Zana alleged foul play by the government when he stated that “Niger Delta militants vandalised pipelines for many years but they were not evicted. Boko Haram destroyed may live but the government did not evict the North East. Why should ours be different? The security personnel are in Tarkwa Bay; why didn’t they ensure that the whole place is safe?”

On his part, Kunle Adewuyi questioned the rationale behind the operational tactics of the Nigerian Navy. “They came with guns; they started shooting. A little boy was shot. Does that make sense?” He said.

John Oluwatosin, an evictee, argued that it was the worst eviction in the history of the black race. According to him, “This is the worst eviction in the history of the black race. This is a crime against humanity. We are appealing to government to rethink its decision and relocate us to that island.”

Francis Metin, a victim of the exercise alleged collusion. “The military men know those pipeline vandals; the pump men know them. They usually settled those who would stop and then they go perpetrate whatever they wanted,” he said.

Why we asked them to leave—NPA

Yusuf Ahmed, General Manager, Lands and Asset Administration, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), stated that the people had occupied the island without permission for too long. “These people have been on the properties of the NPA without permission all along and we are interested in seeing them off.”

For Murtala Adekunle Balogun, Director of Technical Services, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State, said that the government would not fold its hands while the country was being sabotaged.

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Such an act has thrown families into endless misery—Amnesty International

Amnesty International has condemned the eviction of the residents. In a statement by its spokesperson, Isa Sanusi, the body argued that such act has thrown many families into endless misery.

“What is happening at Tarkwa Bay, Lagos is a violation of human rights. It is unacceptable that the Nigerian government are evicting people in the most violent manner and destroying their homes without genuine consultations, adequate notice, alternative accommodation or access to remedies.

“The attacks on poor communities of Lagos must end. Throwing many families into endless misery is not the best way of addressing allegations of crime and urban planning failures of the authorities. We call for a halt to ongoing forced evictions.

“Authorities must stop hiding behind concerns around pipeline vandalism or other crimes to deprive poor people of housing in Lagos. Governments must ensure that no one is rendered homeless or vulnerable to the violation of human rights as a result of evictions. Also, relevant government agencies must be mandated to consider all feasible alternatives to evictions in genuine consultation with all people affected,” the statement read in part.

Tarkwa Bay is the 24th community in the area that has received eviction orders as part of the broader operation by the navy, activists from the Nigerian Slum/Informal Settlement Federation said.