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Over 1,000 families in Rivers State have been sacked following the demolition of houses in about nine waterfront settlements by the state government.

The areas where the demolition took place are Abba, Elechi, Nnanka, Uruala, Affikpo, Ojike, Akuzu, Egede, Soku streets in the Diobu area of the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area.

Members of the households were left stranded and were seen looking for shelter in neighbouring streets in the area.

The state government had notified residents of the waterfront settlements of its plans to demolish the houses over alleged sale of illegally refined petroleum products in the area.

Eight days later, government officials and security agents stormed the waterfront settlements with two bulldozers to carry out the demolition.

A landlord in Nnanka waterfront, Mr Otutubuike Odigbo, regretted that the government did not give them enough time to seek alternative accommodations, adding that they were stranded.

Odigbo said, “My father left over seven rooms for me here. We are surprised at what the government did to us poor people. We got information that the government was coming to demolish our houses. We thought it was a joke.

“What we saw were bulldozers coming in. They brought down our houses. As you can see, we do not have anywhere to sleep. We are sleeping in people’s verandas.

“As it is now, we are thinking of how to survive this. There is no money and we are not prepared for this. We are calling on the government to help us. We are totally stranded.”

Meanwhile, the Diobu Chiefs and Elders Forum has condemned the demolition of buildings at the Illuoabuchi waterfront by the state government.

The forum, in a statement in Port Harcourt on Wednesday by its Chairman, Chief Gift Otonnah, described the demolition and displacement of the residents as wicked.