- SSA to the governor on environment, Farooq Akintunde, said a 6 month notice was given to owners before demolition.
- He also warned heads of schools who allegedly allocated unauthorised spaces to traders to desist or face the full weight of the state law.
The Ogun State Government has taken bold steps to secure the learning environment by demolishing over 200 illegal structures around school fences and marketplaces.
This move is part of the Safer School Initiative, aimed at ridding the learning environment of criminals and distractions.
According to Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment, Farooq Akintunde, owners of the illegal structures had been issued notices six months prior but failed to comply.
The government’s taskforce, led by Akintunde, stormed Kuto, Idi-Aba, Oke Ijeun, and Panseke with bulldozers, pulling down shanties and illegal structures that had been disrupting the free flow of traffic and posing a threat to students’ safety.
Some of the schools visited are St. John Primary School, Kuto; Nawairudeen Primary and Secondary School, Oje Ijeun; and Government Technical College, Idi-Aba.
Akintunde emphasized that the government’s objective is to ensure students can focus on learning without distractions.
He warned that these illegal structures had become hideouts for criminals, including kidnappers, and the government would not tolerate such activities.
The taskforce also pulled down makeshift shops in the Panseke area, which had been disrupting traffic flow.
Akintunde cautioned school heads against allocating unauthorized spaces to traders, warning that such actions would face the full weight of the state law.