The Traffic

"A Highway to Injustice? Lafiaji Residents Cry Out Against Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project"

Haruna Yakubu Haruna 

In a tale of alleged nepotism and disregard for due process, residents of Lafiaji, a community in Lagos State, are up in arms against the Federal Ministry of Works and the Lagos State government over the planned demolition of their properties to make way for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

The 700-kilometer highway, spanning nine coastal states, has been touted as a major infrastructure development project. However, for the residents of Lafiaji, it represents a threat to their homes and livelihoods. In May, over 80 property owners in the community received demolition notices, sparking widespread outrage and accusations of favoritism.

At a press conference on Tuesday, the residents alleged that the Minister of Works, David Umahi, had deviated from the original gazetted alignment to spare high-end properties with strong political connections, while targeting their homes for demolition. They claim that this decision demonstrates a blatant disregard for the rule of law and the rights of law-abiding citizens.

The residents are calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and direct the Minister of Works to revert to the original alignment, established as far back as 2006. They argue that their properties do not encroach on the designated alignment and that they have been unfairly targeted to make way for the project.

As tensions escalate, the residents are left wondering why they are being penalized for following the law, while those who built illegally on the established right of way are being treated with reverence. The fate of their homes and livelihoods hangs in the balance, as they await a response from the President and the Minister of Works. Will justice prevail, or will the highway project become a highway to injustice?