Apapa Amusement Park Shut, 44 Buildings Demolished

Officials of the Lagos State Taskforce on the Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement Unit) have shut the popular Apapa Amusement Park in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria after demolishing 44 illegal structures within the park.

The operation was led by the the taskforce chairman, Supol Bayo Sulaiman. The officials arrived the park around 8.30 a.m. to commence operation while some shop owners quickly packed their wares to prevent them from being destroyed.

The officials came with bulldozers and demolished about 44 buildings, including a building housing the Redeemed Christian Church of God, located beside the park.

A shop owner who identified himself simply as Ebuka lamented that he parted with a full year rent three days ago before the demolition, “I was not told about this when I was paying to the person managing the park. I didn’t know that the place will be demolished, I would have known what to do. Now to get my money back will be difficult.”

Rita, a student who squats in an apartment within the park was a shadow of herself as she pondered on where to lay her head for the night. She blamed the managers of the park for not informing occupants of shops and offices in the area ahead of time on the planned demolition.

The state government said it decided to shut down the park and demolished the structures for security reasons.

According to Sulaiman, the state government plans to return the park to its original state.

He disclosed that government got information that those who were handed the park to manage had converted part of the land to a burial ground for their dead relatives.

“There is no way government will come here to bury someone. Some of the properties have even been bought and they cut off some parts of the land and sell it off.

“There is also growing concerns about security. The government will not compromise its security policy,” he stated.

The Managing Director of Parkway Ride and Services Limited, manager of the Apapa Amusement Park, Mrs. Mac Arthur disclosed that the state government only gave them 48-hour notice, adding that there was no justification for the state government’s action.

She explained that the park was established in 1975, but that she took charge of the park in 1994 following the demise of the initial manager of the park.

“I am interested in Fashola’s government but I am disappointed because I did not expect this kind of action from the administration. I was thinking they will call us and talk to us. When I got the notice that they want to demolish this place on Friday, we packed ourselves to Alausa to beg for more time to pack our belongings out, but they vehemently refused.

“At least, I expected them to give me time. How about my workers. I cannot sent them away without incentives,” she stated.

Lawyer to Mrs. MacArthur, Mr. Frank Eke expressed the intention of the management of the park to seek redress in court over the demolition.

—Kazeem Ugbodaga