The community, home to over 100 wooden structures, is precariously built atop a stormwater bridge, with timber serving as the primary construction material.
The settlement sits dangerously close to critical drainage infrastructure, raising significant concerns about safety, sanitation, and flooding risks, especially with the onset of the rainy season.
Sanitary conditions in the area are described as extremely poor, yet residents appear unfazed.
AMA officials, who visited the site during a routine operation, warned of an impending evacuation as part of efforts to restore order and public safety in Accra’s Central Business District (CBD).
Despite its squalid nature and structural hazards, AMA authorities acknowledged that residents of Lucifer’s Village are not currently involved in any illegal commercial activities that would warrant immediate forceful eviction.
However, officials emphasised that the settlement’s location on a vital storm drain and its unsanitary state pose public health and safety risks that cannot be ignored for long. They noted that the necessary steps will be taken in due course.
Interestingly, AMA also disclosed that they have not been able to identify the individual or group responsible for renting out the spaces to the residents, raising questions about oversight and accountability in the management of informal urban spaces.
The discovery highlights the broader challenges facing Accra’s urban governance, particularly the tension between rapid urbanization, informal settlements, and the city’s struggle with infrastructure maintenance and planning enforcement.
Watch the AMA’s tour of the ‘Lucifers village’ below:
