Lagos Govt Gives Lekki Shanty Dwellers Four-Day Ultimatum

The Lagos State Government on Sunday gave a four-day relocation notice to all squatters occupying illegal shanties in the Lagos Coastal Road in Mayegun, in the Lekki area of the state.

Speaking with newsmen after an inspection tour to Jakande, Elegushi Itedo, System 156 and 44 on Orchid Road, the state Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said all such shanties and squatters, close to regional road alignment must vacate the area by Thursday afternoon as enforcement would begin in the early hours of Friday.

A statement issued on Sunday quoted the commissioner as saying that the tour was key in order to ensure that the coastal alignment of the aforementioned areas were secured and illegal settlements along the corridors were taken out.

Wahab maintained that by next week, the spots will be cleared with the Lagos State Building Control Agency involved in the proper regeneration of the area.

“The government has cleared Ijora under bridge, Obalende under bridge, Apongbon under bridge, Agege Red Line rail, amongst others. I will like to say that most of these places cleaned up are notorious sites that harbour criminals and as such they are threats to residents. The clean-up exercise would be  sustained to ensure that ejected squatters do not return to rebuild these shanties,” he added.

The commissioner further said that enforcement would begin 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.