The Artists Village located at the National Art Theatre was completely demolished on Saturday, Jan. 23. According to Segun Adefila, the founder and lead dancer of Crown Troupe of Africa, who shared the photos on Facebook, the demolition was carried out on the order of the General Manager of National Theatre, Mr Kabiru.
His post below: “Artistes village at the moment been destroyed by Mr kabiru the GM of national theatre with properties and arts work worth millions gone just like that?hmmmmmm change indeed has really come”
In a second post, he wrote: “Today, Saturday,23rd of January 2016, while idle youths who have found engagement in crime roam the city almost unchecked, the Artists Village (the only artistically functional part of the National Theatre- a gigantic edifice with no soul) is under invasion. Many young artists who have found a creative outlet for their youthful energy shall be violently uprooted from this space. Their properties destroyed, savings stolen and all of them rendered idle. These artists shall soon begin to envy their contemporaries, who have taken to crime by wrecking havoc on a sleeping society. Shame, a big shame”