The year 2020 is a year everyone would not forget in a hurry, it has sure been an eventful year globally with various happenings both good and bad that shaped the year.
Well we in Amuwo-Odofin LGA, Lagos State, Nigeria were not left out , Festaconline media has curated and put together 12 things that shook Amuwo-Odofin this 2020.
Gas Explosion
The Abule-Ado explosion which claimed 23 lives, 25 Injured persons and more than 60 properties damaged rocked the Amuwo Odofin Local Government.
The explosion which happened on Sunday 15th March 2020 around 9am was felt in Lagos state was put off around 11am. The incident claimed lives of innocent residents in the Abule ado axis of Amuwo-Odofin LGA.
According to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the explosion and fire was caused when a truck rammed into gas cylinders stacked in a gas processing plant near a vandalised petroleum gas pipeline. 276,000 people were displaced according to the Lagos State Government.
Part of the Most hit includes the students and the facilities at the Bethlehem Girls College, Abule-Ado which was destroyed.
The school principal of Bethlehem Girls’ College at Abule Ado area of Lagos, Henrietta Alokha, lost her life while trying to save her students from the inferno at the school.
The Lagos state government led by Babajide Sanwo-Olu created a relief fund for the victims of the explosion on 16 March 2020.
The funds are marked as a 2 billion naira emergency fund with the Lagos State Government donating 250 million naira at its inception.
Fire Outbreaks
The year 2020 saw to several Fire outbreaks in the Amuwo-odofin community.
From The fire that razed properties in the 7th Avenue axis of Festac Town. living hundreds displaced and homeless.
Some buildings in the Agboju axis of Old Ojo Road were caught up in a fire which happened 22nd March 2020 at around 10am
Also the Peridot station along Festac Access Road caught fire on 13th May 2020 and was salvaged by the Federal Fire services.
A Block of Flat was also engulfed by fire in Jakande estate, Mile 2 on 15th May 2020. The fire spread from one flat affecting others, No lives were lost but properties were destroyed.
Also there was a fire outbreak in 21 Road Festac Town which burnt the whole building which was a resultant of Inverter batteries explosion.
Not to forget the Fire outbreak on the Oshodi-Apapa expressway which occurred due to explosions from some fuel tankers past midnight and left residents of Festac Extension and Mile 2 Estate scared and scampering for safety on 29th october 2020.
Covid19 Pandemic
Amuwo-Odofin was not left out of the notorious pandemic, The Novel Coronavirus ,(COVID-19) which has claimed millions of lives globally.
Several cases were reported from the LGA as well as Deaths of residents were also recorded.
Amuwo-Odofin local government area in Lagos state was among the eighteen LGA’s in Nigeria that were at risk of being on strict Lockdown.
The list of LGA’s that might be affected was collated from the June 2nd Report by the NCDC of local government areas with higest cases in Nigeria of which Amuwo-odofin LGA was among.
According to data earlier released by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, 11 out of the 20 local government areas that account for 60 per cent of the cases are in Lagos State
Palliative Warehouse Discovery
A Warehouse located in Monkey Village of the LGA was discovered during the Post-End SARS period.
This led to illegal looting of the palliatives in the warehouse, residents and some hoodlums were able to break in and cart away several , almost all of the CA-COVID Palliatives which were meant to be shared to residents.
This also triggered and led to the discovery as well as looting of other warehouses in various parts of the country.
Recall Of Lawmaker
A Lawmaker representing Amuwo-Odofin Constituency 1 at the Lagos state house of assembly, Mojisola Alli-Macaulay who made some degrading statements , calling the youths drug deallers.
This triggered an uproar from some youths in the Amuwo-Odofin LGA and led to a a kickstart of the recall process which was sadly halted due to some unknown reasons.
Did you sign the petition ?
Epileptic Power Supply + Blackout
2020 Has been a year with an epileptic and terrible power supply for residents of the Amuwo-Odofin LGA with more reference to the Festac Town , Agboju axis of the LGA served by the Eko Electric distribution Company.
Residents of Festac Town estate have cried out all through the year of the poor and most times no supply of electricity and yet still get outrageous and crazy bills.
Did you get any outrageous bill too ??
Tanker Invasion
Commuting within and outside has been nothing short of a recurring Nightmare for residents and commuters in the Amuwo-Odofin LGA as tankers, trucks and containers have occupied the second rainbow, durbar road, apple junction, Mile 2, Badagry expressway axis.
Worse of a barge was erected just under the Festac Link Bridge, Truly Amuwo has been invaded by these trucks.
These trucks have caused unnecessary and avoidable traffic situation which also lead to a spike in transport fare as well as Traffic robberies as well.
Not to forget lives that have been claimed by these containers falling on cars and killing people.
Oyinlola Market Demolition
The popular Oyinlola Market also known as 23 Road Market Festac Town was demolished.
According to some traders, they lamented on the lack of communication of these development, some said they were informed but they were assured by the Iyaloja that nothing would happen.
Sadly on the morning of 12 December 2020, traders and residents woke up to the demolition of the market complex.
The Market has since then been razed down to rubbles to be rebuilt in three months according to the LGA Chairman, Valentine Buraimoh.
We cant wait for the 3 months project to be completed, Can you ?
Endsars Protests
The ENDSARS Protest which shook Nigeria and attracted intense interest from other countries and the international scene also took place in Amuwo-Odofin LGA.
For decades, the notorious police unit, SARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad) cemented a reputation for extra-judicial killings, extortion, profiling and a slew of human rights abuses, with young Nigerians as their main fodder.
When the #EndSARS protesters took to the streets in early October and grounded the Nigerian economy for full measure, they were demanding not just for an end to decades of police brutality, but for a reset of the Nigerian state and better governance from the political elite, going forward.
The protests which occurred was aimed at ending the defunct police Unit which has been labelled and tagged as notorious.
The protest in the LGA took place in Festac town through to Apple junction, Ago-Okota axis, satellite town axis as well.
The protests held for a number of days before being Hijacked by hoodlums who attacked, destroyed and looted a number of shops and properties in Maza Maza and also the Festac access road axis was not spared.
A number of these hijackers were caught and handed over to the security agencies and few items looted were recovered.
Car Thefts
Having a car in Festac Town became more of a nightmare in 2020 as frequent reports of car vandalization and raiding took place in the estate .
A number of closes in Festac Town were raided at night hours by some armed men who maimed the security guards on duties in several closes in the community
Some closes were raided by armed guys who came in trucks , and perpetrated their evil acts making away with car parts worth millions of naira as well as destroying the cars too
LGA Website HACKED
During the ENDSARS Protests, several websites of government agencies were hacked and hijacked for some days.
Amuwo-Odofin LG Website was not excluded as wellas those of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission.
Traffic
Traffic in Amuwo-Odofin LGA became an unavoidable nightmare for residents and commuters as well.
Traffic this 2020 became worse of in all areas of the LGA , Most of the traffic owed to the Tanker invasion as mentioned earlier and partly to reckless and unlawful drivers.
Worst hit areas were Apple Junction which birth Festac Access road traffic extending to Ago-Okota road and second rainbow.
Other areas were Mile 2 axis, Durbar road, Alakija, Satellite town, Old Ojo Road, Mile2-Badagry expressway.
The traffic could last for more than 2- 5 hours for a commute of just 10 Minutes.
Festac Town was also not left out of the Traffic situation as roads were being rehabilitated which had to be closed down as well as the second avenue axis also blocked by the area E Police station for some weeks.
So here is our recap for 2020 here in our LGA Amuwo-Odofin, Did we miss any major occurrence ? Kindly drop them below so we add them.
Meanwhile which was the highlight for you?