The Lagos State Government has announced plans to carry out an enforcement action aimed at removing over 100 shanties located at the Adeniji Adele under-bridge area of the state.
Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources in Lagos, revealed this decision in a statement posted on social media on Sunday.
The move comes after the expiration of a 48-hour notice issued to occupants of the shanties to vacate the premises.
Wahab stated that operatives from the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) unit, alongside officials from the Monitoring Enforcement and Compliance (MEC) department of the ministry, would receive security backup to execute the operation.
“This exercise is part of the avowed commitment of the present administration under Mr. @jidesanwoolu to reclaim all ungoverned spaces that dot the Lagos landscape,” the statement read.
“Unsightly shanties which are located in the heart of Lagos Island represent a distorted image of what a smart city like Lagos should be.
“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.”