The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has said that the state government will commence enforcement actions to dismantle more than 100 shanties located at the Adeniji Adele under bridge with effect from Monday, May 6, 2024.
Wahab made this disclosure in a statement on an X’s post on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
The commissioner said this action follows the expiration of a 48-hour notice served to all occupants of the shanties, instructing them to vacate the area with their belongings.
Furthermore, he said security backup will be provided to operatives of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI/LAGESC) and officials from the Monitoring Enforcement and Compliance (MEC) department of the ministry to carry out the operation.
“The Lagos State Government will undertake enforcement action to remove over 100 shanties at Adeniji Adele underbridge from tomorrow, Monday, 6th of May, 2024.
“The removal is coming after the expiration of a 48-hour removal notice served on all occupants of the shanties to move with their belongings. And operatives of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI/LAGESC) and officials from the Monitoring Enforcement and Compliance (MEC) department of the ministry will be given security backup to conduct the operation.
“This exercise is part of the avowed commitment of the present administration under governor Jide Sanwo-Olu to reclaim all ungoverned spaces that dot the Lagos landscape. Unsightly shanties which are located in the heart of Lagos Island represent a distorted image of what a smart city like Lagos should be,” Wahab said.
In addition, the commissioner stated that the shanties not only create unsanitary living conditions for the residents, but they also act as a refuge for criminals.
He said these areas serve as hubs for trafficking hard drugs and substances, posing a threat to the well-being of law-abiding citizens.
“Apart from the unsanitary conditions of residents in the shanties, it also serves as a hiding place for criminals and points for peddling hard drugs and substances which is injurious to the wellbeing of law-abiding residents.
“Therefore, I advise all the occupants of the shanties in their interest, to voluntarily move out with their belongings before the commencement of the enforcement operations on Monday,” Wahab added.
Since the beginning of 2024, the Lagos State Government has been actively removing illegal structures that encroach on rights-of-way of rail lines and other essential infrastructure, aiming to enhance cleanliness and the overall well-being of the state.
The clearance of shanties encroaching upon the area surrounding the Blue Line rail beneath the Ijora Causeway Bridge.
During the same month, illegal constructions at the Obalende Under-bridge were demolished, and residents were displaced to support the state’s initiatives for cleanliness and well-being.
In March, the campaign progressed with the removal of unauthorized structures and shanties around Jakande Estate and Maiyegun in Lekki, aiming to reclaim the coastal road path for the Lagos-Calabar Highway project, a federal effort, and to enhance urban renewal in these areas.
The government plans to persist in this campaign, targeting illegal structures around the Blue and Red Rail Lines and other vital infrastructure, reinforcing its dedication to eradicating squatter settlements and unauthorized buildings that mar the state’s landscape.
