The Lagos State Government on Sunday served a four-day notice of displacement to all squatters occupying unlawful shanties near the Lagos coastal route in the Mayegun, Lekki region of Lagos, in response to the indiscriminate emergence of shanties and illegal buildings.
Speaking with newsmen after an inspection tour to Jakande, Elegushi itedo, System 156 and 44 on Orchid Road, HC MOE&WR, Tokunbo Wahab said all such illegal shanties and squatters, close to Regional Road Alignment must vacate the area by Thursday afternoon. He warned that failure to move would invite enforcement operatives from the early hours of Friday morning as all the properties have been served mandatory notices.
The commissioner was accompanied by the SA Environment, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, PS Drainage Services, Engr Mahmood Adegbite, PS, Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji Tajudeen, Chairman of Task Force on Special Offences, CSP Sola Jejeloye. The team which also included heads of Agencies inspected System 157 (Orchid Road), System 44 (Lekki to Ikota), Mayegun Area (Jakande), Regional Road Alignment, Dodan Barracks and Obalende and Ilubirin.
Wahab stated that the tour is to ensure that the coastal alignment of the affected areas is secured and illegal settlements along the corridors removed. He added that by next week the spots will be cleared with the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LABCA) involved in the proper regeneration of the axis.
“The government has cleared Ijora and Obalende underbridge, Obalende, Apongbon underbridge, and Agege Red rail line amongst others. I would like to say that most of the cleaned places were notorious for harbouring criminals and were threats to residents” he said.
He said the team would also visit Aboru, Command, Abule-Egba to inspect ongoing work in the areas, stressing that the enforcement drive is a state-wide exercise. The Commissioner said enforcement would commence this week on System 157 (Orchid Road) to open the 40 metres drainage adding that this became necessary as people have built on the canal path and narrowed the primary channel thereby causing flooding in the area.
He said the government convened several stakeholder meetings with property owners and the affected residents who were served contravention notices in the last quarter of 2023 adding that since then, they have not seen commitment from the affected community members.
The team also visited Ilubirin to ascertain the level of the ongoing project to install an underground tank to deflood Lagos Island awarded 3 years ago, with a confirmation from the contractor that the project will be delivered in 90 days. Ilubirin is strategic because the government is set to regenerate Isale Eko and environs and to do that, there is a need to get the outflow of water through the Ilubirin path” he said.
