Otodo Gbame residents brutalized by task force while peacefully protesting against their eviction by the Lagos State government.

Residents of Otodo Gbame community, who were unjustly evicted from their homes earlier in the year, were brutalized last night by the task force as they staged a peaceful protest at the state government house.

The residents arrived at the government house during the day, hoping to be addressed by the governor. As they waited outside, they clapped and sang songs that told the story of their plight. Witnesses say it was as peaceful as can be.

The media was there to cover the protest. However, as night came, no one came out to address them and they refused to leave until they got a chance to air their grievance to the state governor, so they settled in for the night.

However, as soon as the various media outfits left the venue, the task force, who couldn't act because of the presence of the media, came out then and began to attack the protesters. According to Shawn Okechukwu Samuel, they arrived with two vans and began to force the protesters into them. Men and women were beaten and so many of them sustained injuries.

If you recall, in April of this year, armed policemen, numbering no fewer than 50, invaded the Otodo Gbame community one Sunday morning and without warning began to burn houses and fire shots at residents in a bid to drive them away from the community (read here). Ever since these people, who are mostly fishermen and women were displaced from their homes by the Lagos State Government, no alternative provision has been made for them and most have been rendered homeless.

See more photos below.