"We were at the market when it started. When I came back, my house was gone." Many homes have been demolished in a shanty town in a lagoon in Lagos, with critics describing it as a "land-grab" by the authorities to gentrify the prime waterfront spot in Nigeria's biggest city. Lagos State government officials deny the allegation, saying they are demolishing parts of Makoko - the country's biggest informal waterfront settlement - because it is expanding near high voltage power lines. Residents say the demolitions began two days before Christmas, when excavation teams accompanied by armed police moved into sections of the waterfront settlement. In a joint statement last month, 10 non-governmental organisations said that "armed thugs, security personnel and demolition teams with bulldozers descended repeatedly on the community" to tear down homes, and burn them. Tap the link in BBCNews's bio to read firsthand accounts from residents. (Reuters) #Lagos #Makoko #BBCNews