Over 20 buildings have been brought down by excavators in a demolition exercise currently ongoing at the Iriebe Housing Estate, leaving several families homeless and helpless.
One is greeted with the rumbles of what once stood as homes for some low income earners who lived in the flats with their families within the buildings erected by the Dr. Peter Odili administration.
Some of the occupants told City News on Wednesday morning that they were not certain about the authority behind the demolition exercise.
They also claimed they were not informed about the exercise and have also received no recent notice from the Rivers State Government about it.
They said the exercise was being executed at a time many were trying to find their find their feet again after the economic worship of the COVID 19 pandemic.
One of the occupants, Izu said: We woke on Tuesday morning to see two excavators with government security. They started breaking peoples houses claiming that government has taken over. Before the end of Tuesday, about 12 houses were demolished including mine. This thing is very heartbreaking".
Pastor Godwin, Another occupant told City News that inhabitants of the estate are not just pained about the emergency manner those behind the demolition exercise are going about it, but they have invested in roofing and rehabilitating many of the structures especially some which were uncompleted, to make them habitable.
He said the exercise has taken him unawares and he does not know where to turn to for help. He appealed to the state government to come to their aid.
Our correspondent reports that the demolition exercise continued on Wednesday morning with the heavy presence of security operatives while occupants made last minute efforts to move their properties from the buildings.
The Rivers State Commissioner of Information, Hon. Nsirim Paulinus could not be reached to verify if the state government was behind the exercise as at press time.
