By LYDIA CHIGOZIE-NGWAKWE

Displaced traders and residents under Iddo Bridge in Lagos State are pleading for urgent government help, saying they have been rendered homeless and without livelihoods.

The appeal followed the demolition of structures under the bridge where they were trading or residing.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the demolition, which was carried out under the directive of the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, was aimed at clearing illegal settlements and securing infrastructure.

Umahi had on Sunday evening ordered the demolition, citing serious safety concerns and risk of imminent collapse.

However, those affected by the demolition said their sudden displacement threw them into turmoil.

?I don?t know where to go from here; this was not just a shop for me, it was also where I lived with my children.

?Now we are sleeping outside with nowhere to turn to,? Mrs Mojisola Balogun, a mother of three, who sold used household items under the bridge, told NAN.

NAN reports that some of the illegal occupants claimed that they paid annual rent of up to N300,000 to some individuals who presented themselves as landlords or agents.

?We were paying rent. I just renewed mine in January; I know it is under the bridge, but at least it was a place to stay and do business.

?The seven-day notice was not enough, the government should have given us more time or provided an alternative,? Mr Peter Nnadozie, who sold motorcycle spare parts in one of the demolished shops, said.

Mrs Ngozi Ukpabio, who sold foods in the area, expressed frustration.

?I used the little profit I made everyday to feed my children and send them to school.

?Everything is gone now. We are begging the government for a temporary shelter or a small space for trading. We need help,? she said. (NAN)

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