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What is Happening in Tarkwa Bay?

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On Tuesday afternoon news began to filter through that gunshots had been heard on Tarkwa Bay, the popular island that’s home to beaches along the Atlantic coast.

It was unclear what was happening. Journalist Kiki Mordi said she’d spoken to the Baale of the island, who confirmed the gunshots but said they were to “lure out oil bunkerers.” Others, however, said the island was being cleared off, its people evacuated.

Photos began to arrive as evening neared, showing people with their belongings in Ghana-must-go bags, their mattresses on the waterfront. It looked like, really, people who had spent their entire lives on Tarkwa Bay were being evacuated, with no alternative accommodation provided. Basically, they were being rendered homeless.

The Nigerian navy said the operation was aimed at protecting equipment belonging to the country’s national oil company from “vandals,” but even more pictures showed the people of Tarkwa Bay logging their properties out of the island.

According to Punch, an eyewitness said a naval personnel, who had been on surveillance of petroleum product pipeline in the area, accused members of the community of vandalising the pipeline in a bid to steal fuel.

Tarkwa Bay is the 24th community in the area that has received eviction orders, Punch reports, as part of the broader operation by the navy. Thousands of people have left their homes in surrounding areas since December 21 and their residences have reportedly been demolished.

This calls to mind the evacuation of other waterfront communities like Otodo Gbame, whose residents are still yet to be resettled.

Looks like the government is committed to creating more homelessness, replacing low-income homes with luxurious high rise buildings that remain empty.

See photos and videos from the forced evictions:

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