By Patrick Ahanor
Benin City
Two landlords whose houses were allegedly destroyed by Edo State government to pave the way for the state’s urban renewal drive have been reported dead.
The late landlords were said to be among owners of houses affected by the construction of additional service lanes and walkways on the ever-busy Ugbowo-Lagos Road, Uselu, Benin City.
One of the owners of the affected properties, Mr. Harrison Uwangue, who led other landlords on a protest March to the House of Assembly in Benin City, has said.
He, however, did not disclose the identity of the late property owners or the circumstances that led to their deaths.
“As I speak to you, among the 24 of the affected persons, two are dead and some are bedridden. That is why the number has reduced. We are dying and getting frustrated by the day. We are suffering untold hardship, homeless and financially emasculated. You can’t feed well and you can’t even clothe yourself. Besides, we cannot even pay our children school fees,” he said.
Uwangue further explained that they were at the Assembly complex for a peaceful protest to draw the attention of the government to their plights which, according to him, began in 2012.
He regretted that no compensation have been paid to the property owners despite several meetings held in the past “including the one with Governor Adams Oshiomhole and another convened at the Ministry of Justice at the instance of the National Human Rights Commission.”
When contacted for comment, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Kassim Afegbua, said he was at the airport and asked reporters to call back.
However, several calls and text messages afterwards sent to his mobile phone were not responded to.
