This is a Pulse Eyewitness report from Maureen Ogbuehi detailing the sorry sight of a mother and two kids who are destitute on the streets of Lagos.
“So I was going to work this morning somewhere in Lekki Phase 1 and I encountered this homeless woman with two kids sitting under a tree close to the entrance of my workplace.
That was not the first time I would be seeing her and her kids in Lekki, but I was really touched on this occasion, seeing that the two kids were picking up and eating rotten fruits from beneath the tree. This prompted me to approach the woman who opened up to me with her story.
Her name is Adijat Animashaun and her kids are aged 2 years and 4 years respectively. She hails from Osun State and has been a widow for about two years; she was thrown out of her home in Ofada, Mowe, Ogun State.
With the help of a few well-meaning Nigerians, she was able to raise money for a new house somewhere in Iyana Ipaja, Lagos State, which cost her N24,000 (Twenty-four thousand Naira, from the receipt she showed me).
So far, she has not been able to relocate to the new place as she does not have the resources to move. Communicating with her was pretty difficult (her pidgin English was abysmal) and I do not know how to speak Yoruba).
Adijat presently resorts to hanging about in Lekki, relying on the goodwill of people who see her and her kids to survive, as she does not engage in any craft whatsoever to keep body and soul together.
I asked her what she could do as a vocation and she said she could make "agbo" (traditional herbs), and even itemized what she needed to start the business. I couldn't believe someone is looking for fund to start agbo business...
I was really touched at the sight of this woman; especially considering that the kids were unkempt, dirty and should be in school instead of hanging around aimlessly like they were when I saw them.
It would be nice if some sort of help could be given to this lady, for the sake of her kids at least.
I know there are some organisations that handle cases like this or some well-meaning Nigerians who would love to come to her aid. I took her contact in case anyone would want to reach out to help her.”
If you are touched and wish to help the poor woman and her kids, you can contact Maureen Oghbuehi on her email at
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