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The second episode of season two of Dylan Grave's highly anticipated web series Weird Waves was released two weeks ago. The episode brings viewers into the world of Tarkwa Bay in Lagos, Nigeria, a picturesque seaside town that's inspiring a generation of new young Nigerian surfers. Now, according to recent local news reports, it may not last long.
Last Tuesday, the Nigerian Navy forcefully raided the town, evacuating and subsequently displacing residents from their now-destroyed homes. Tarkwa Bay is apparently one of two dozen communities along the coast that the Navy has evicted in a bid to alleviate oil theft near countless coastal pipelines. However, locals and human-rights groups officials believe that the government may have ulterior motives.
While the residents of Tarkwa Bay now suffer a tumultuous and uncertain future, the Lagos State Government and Nigerian Ports Authority allegedly are in the process of developing a new elite, tourist-focused seaside resort in place of the small surf town. With no regard for the rights or welfare of locals, these two entities will actually directly benefit from the razing of Tarkwa Bay.
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Graves and others who have visited and enjoyed watching the burgeoning surf community expand are heartbroken by the news, as Graves wrote in a recent Instagram post. "Feels really weird that this happened after we launched our episode, but hopefully this helps the cause and shows people exactly what the scene was, to hopefully help fight for a permanent solution to this scenario," he said, additionally sharing a
fundraising website for locals to help them relocate and rebuild.
