Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce), has served squatters at Adewale Kolawale Street, Lekki coastal road and its environs a 5–day removal notice of all illegal structures and shanties erected in the area or faced demolition.
Chairman of the agency, Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, Shola Jejeloye, through the Director, Public Affairs, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.
He urged owners of the illegal structures, makeshift buildings, and shanties to immediately remove them as well as vacate the area within the stipulated date given to them by the state government.
Jejeloye, while appealing to traders, food vendors, and other squatters living unhygienically in clusters, noted that government would enforce the 5-day removal notice on April 25, 2023.
He disclosed that the ‘Removal Notice’ became necessary in view of the rising incidences of pollution and most importantly a fire outbreak that occurred three days ago which almost led to the destruction of buildings on the other side of the street.
Jejeloye expressed the government’s displeasure and worries over the squalid environment which could also serve as hideouts for criminals who pose a security threat to residents in the area and residents at large.
He added that “the state government is committed to reducing crime to the bearest minimum through clearing out of criminal hideouts and also ensure that the environment is safe, serene and habitable for all concerned.
“Shanties, illegal structures like this are known for indiscriminate disposal of waste materials which is not in tandem with the state’s vision for a Mega City Status.”
Jejeloye, therefore, warned the owners of abandoned trucks and vehicles, shanties and kiosks to remove them from the area before the expiration of the deadline, stressing that “this won’t be the first Notice of Removal being served on the occupiers.
“The Lagos State’s zero tolerance for environmental abuse, illegal and indiscriminate dumping of refuse and defacing the environment is going to be followed to the letter and we will make sure our objective here is achieved.
“I can assure you that Government would enforce this notice come ñext week Tuesday.”