VIDEO: ‘I sleep outside in the rain with 10 children,’ says Makoko widow

By Adegboyega Adeleye

Amid the demolition of homes and properties in the Makoko waterfront community and its environs, citizens have called on the Lagos state government to help them after being rendered helpless and hopeless by the displacement exercise.

Recall that Vanguard reported the recent demolition exercises, which started on the 13th of December, 2025, in Makoko area, have led to thousands of people being rendered homeless and out of school.

Speaking in an interview with Vanguard, a young widow, identified as Esthy, recounted the sad experience that led to her being internally displaced, saying she currently sleeps outside in the rain with her ten children.

She explained how the incident almost cost her life, disclosing how she only regained consciousness while she was in the hospital.

Narrating her sad experience, the widow said, “I have lived here for more than 40 years. When this incident happened, tear gas was fired at us, and it went straight into my nostrils. If I had not been rushed to the hospital, I would have died. I only regained consciousness while I was in the hospital.”

'I sleep outside in the rain with 10 children,' says Makoko widow pic.twitter.com/lYYH6eLrFu

— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) February 12, 2026

“What makes this situation more painful is that we still do not understand why it happened. Even those of us who do not live close to the power line were affected, and our houses were demolished.”

Like many other women, Esthy appealed to the government to understand her plight, especially after the tragic death of her husband a few years ago.

“This has affected me deeply. Last year, my husband died instantly after he was hit by a car. Since then, I have been alone with my children. I have ten children, four boys and six girls. Since our homes were destroyed, every heavy rainfall has fallen directly on my children and me. I have to hold them tightly and tell them to stay close to me,” she added.

According to her, she was not informed of the demolition exercise and does not have the money to rent another apartment.

She continued, “I was never informed that the government was coming to demolish anything. I have no money to buy or rent another place. All I can do is appeal to the government to please come to our aid. I am a widow with no family left here. I was raised in this community, but all my relatives now live in the village.”

Similarly, a young woman named Mati also spoke to Vanguard, narrating her ordeal of sleeping outside in the rain with children.

The young woman said, “What happened in Makoko is deeply heartbreaking. We no longer have a place to sit or sleep, as we are left with nowhere to go. Our homes and belongings were completely demolished.”

“At the moment, more than 30 of us, including my children, are crammed into a single room. Some people even sleep outside. I sleep outdoors with my toddler.”

Narrating the sad experience of being trapped in the rain, Mati says she has no alternative, as she appealed to the government to help her and her family.

‘Two days ago, when it rained, my children and I were soaked. I was trapped in the rain, crying and helpless. We are appealing to the government to please come to our aid,” Mati added.

Meanwhile, relative peace has returned to Makoko after weeks of protests by aggrieved residents following the demolition of the waterfront settlement by the Lagos State government, as a five-point agreement was recently reached between the residents and representatives of the government.

Makoko is one of Lagos’ most complex urban spaces—socially vibrant, economically active, historically layered, and physically precarious—and the state government has continuously reiterated its position that the demolition of the waterfront settlement was done in the interest of all.

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