Most Nigerians don't live in Abuja's city center, much of which resembles a high income city in the United States. Instead, they live in makeshift towns that are regularly demolished as Abuja, the capital, expands.
Demolition in Nigeria
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Families in Mpape say they struggle even to keep their children in school and cannot afford to move. (Heather Murdock for VOA)
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John Odewale, who heads the Mpape resident’s association, says the town was marked for destruction last summer by hundreds of armed men. (Heather Murdock for VOA)
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Most of the buildings in this market in Mpape will be demolished if the courts decide against the town in a case that begins April 15. (Heather Murdock for VOA)
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Some buildings were already destroyed when the court ordered a halt to the demolition last summer. Lawyers for Mpape are expected to present a human rights argument rather than dispute the legal ownership of the land. (Heather Murdock for VOA)