By Joke Kujenya
A SURPRISING and shocking discovery emerged yesterday, as the Lagos State government uncovered a clandestine community hidden beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge in Ikoyi, Lagos Island.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed that 86 partitioned rooms, ranging from 10×10 to 12×10 in size, were discreetly nestled beneath the bridge.
Shedding light on the situation, Wahab shared this discovery through a post on his X.com, complemented by videos showcasing the uncovered community.
His revelation further disclosed that tenants were paying an annual rent of N250,000 per annum for these makeshift accommodations.
Responding promptly, the enforcement team of Lagos State’s Ministry of Environment and Water Resources took decisive action to remove the structures and dislodge all the occupants from beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge, including dismantling a container used for various illegal activities.
Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, Special Adviser to Lagos Governor, Bababjide Sanwo-Olu, confirmed the eviction of squatters from beneath the bridge. The operation, conducted by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), resulted in the arrest of 23 individuals.
Rotimi-Akodu also emphasized the critical nature of the situation, highlighting the threat posed to essential infrastructure by the illegal settlement, reiterating the government’s commitment to upholding the law and ensuring safety of residents.
Moreover, it was revealed that the bridge accommodated 86 rooms, apportioned into 10×10 and 12×10, with residents paying an average of N250,000 per annum.
As the government continues its efforts to clear the area, Rotimi-Akodu stressed the hazardous conditions prevalent in the settlement, noting that from the use of wood materials for construction to the storage of fuel for generators, the situation presents a high potential for disaster.
Wahab also notes that the discovery of this hidden community beneath the Dolphin Estate serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced in urban areas as well as the importance of proactive governance to address them which was what informed their prompt decision to dismantle the settlement.
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“Wahab also notes that the discovery of this hidden community beneath the Dolphin Estate serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced in urban areas as well as the importance of proactive governance to address them which was what informed their prompt decision to dismantle the settlement”
I was expecting that the stark reminder should be about the challenges faced by citizens, it seems as if the challenge he meant is that faced by the government to clear the area and not on how to make sure people have affordable housing and not be homeless. The government seems not to want to take responsibility for people’s housing and that’s interesting. It shows the shallowness of those in government in the knowledge of good governance. Governing urban areas needs people who understand human behaviour and can balance that with their needs. Stopping rural-urban migration is beyond what ordinary people can do. It is proactive plans that mitigate it, otherwise, people will naturally move away from rural areas with less opportunities to urban areas with better opportunities. It is left to urban managers to develop a system that can take advantage of such situations and through that produce a system that would provide decent accommodation for those coming in. If we can’t stop the natural flow of movement, then we can make room for it and even take advantage of it through wise policies. To use sheer power and authority to render people homeless is inhuman and barbaric, even much more than people living in the squalor of such environments.
Thank you so much dear Tpec. Your points are very valid and I agree with you. I don’t think the settlement could be so hidden, government wouldn’t have sighted it. But it was shocking to us as journalists and many citizens also found it both shocking and surprising. I hope they will relocate them than just dislodge and leave them wandering. There are few children amongst them who may lose hope in the society and become thugs as area boys. It’s just so unfortunate, I admit with you.