The Lagos State government has uncovered a network of makeshift apartments beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge in the highbrow area of Ikoyi where tenants reportedly pay N250,000 per annum for a room.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said on Wednesday that a total of 86 partitioned rooms, ranging in size from 10×10 to 12×10, were found under the bridge.
Wahab revealed this in a post on X (formerly Twitter), along with videos showing the eviction and dismantling of structures under the bridge.
“A total number of 86 rooms, partitioned into 10×10 and 12×10, and a container used for different illegal activities were discovered under the Dolphine Estate bridge. They have all been removed by the enforcement team of Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources @LasgMOE.
“18 individuals squatting illegally under the bridge leading from Dolphin Estate were arrested yesterday 30th of April 2024 by the officials from the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps @LAGESCOfficial (KAI).
“The Illegal shanties have been dismantled this morning,” Wahab said in a series of posts.
Furthermore, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, a special adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, also confirmed the removal of squatters from under the bridge.
Rotimi-Akodu said the environmental infractions and unlawful settlement that necessitated the eviction, was conducted by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), widely known as KAI.
“Squatters dwelling under the bridge leading from inward Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi were evicted today Tuesday, 30th of April, 2024 by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps LAGESC (aka KAI),” Rotimi-Akodu stated.
He further said that 23 individuals were arrested during the eviction process, emphasizing that the law would be enforced to address such violations.
“These people created their illegal settlement under the bridge, thereby exposing the critical infrastructure to impending destruction. 23 persons have so far been arrested and Mo/KAI will continue to monitor the place.
“The law will take its course,” he 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.
In February, reported the removal of shanties that were infringing on the space around the Blue Line rail under the Ijora Causeway Bridge.
In the same month, unauthorized structures at the Obalende Under-bridge were also pulled down, and inhabitants were evicted to advance the state’s initiatives for cleanliness and well-being.
In March, the campaign continued with the dismantling of illegal structures and shanties around Jakande Estate and Maiyegun in Lekki, with the goal of reclaiming the coastal road path for the Lagos-Calabar Highway project, a federal initiative, and to promote urban renewal in these areas.
The government is expected to continue this campaign, focusing on illegal structures around the Blue and Red Rail Lines and other critical infrastructure, reaffirming its commitment to eliminating squatter settlements and unauthorised buildings that detract from the state’s landscape.
