Victims of Camp 74, who were living in houses built on the land belonging to Denis Osadebay University (DOU) and were recently demolished, have called out for help as they have nowhere to lay their heads.
Some of the affected persons made the appeal while speaking to our reporter who visited the area in Asaba, yesterday. They said since the pulling down of their buildings, they have been helpless as they have nowhere to go to, adding that the effect of the harsh economy has made it impossible for them to be able to secure accommodation for themselves. Expressing pains, one of them, who spoke, said he just moved in before the demolition took place.
He said it was so sad that he had spent his hard earned money few months before the demolition, to secure the three bedroom apartment for himself and his family only for him to be awaken to the reality renting another apartment so soon, adding that he had lost some of his properties to hoodlums who in the disguise of rendering help escaped with some of his belongings. Another victim, who spoke, said it was unfair for the government to have kept them in such condition, when everyone in the country knew the economic situation, adding that the government should have provided them with an option of a new location as many of them were tenants who knew nothing about the illegality of the buildings.
Also, Mrs. Ebele Ukachukwu, appealed to the state government to come to their aid as they have nowhere to go, adding that the displacement was so painful and unfortunate, as the little money with them would not be able to secure another accommodation.
Ukachukwu pleaded for a resettlement to be made available for them, as all hopes to secure accommodation prove abortive, as a result of the increase in house rents in Asaba.
In the same vein, One Mr. Dike Nwafor, expressed bitterness over the action, saying that he left home very early that fateful day and his wife and children had left home when the Task Force on Land Recovery moved into the community with caterpillars to demolished their building, which also had properties inside.
According to him, though they had earlier been notified of the government plans to demolish buildings in the area, he never had the premonition that they would come that day, adding that he had already commenced plans to get vehicles to help move his belongings to a safer place.
