By Olaide Ajibola, JKNMedia Reporter
THE Lagos State government has ramped up efforts to apprehend and prosecute individuals behind the leasing of apartments to tenants, including those who reside with children under the bridges in the Ikoyi area of the state.
During a ministerial press briefing held at the Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, revealed intensified measures taken by operatives of Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), and Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) to enforce the use of pedestrian bridges and ensure the safety of residents.
Additionally, he disclosed that a significant illegal housing settlement with 80 partitioned rooms and a container used for illicit activities was dismantled under the Dolphin Bridge in Ikoyi.
Thirty-six individuals residing in the illegal settlement were arrested, with efforts underway to apprehend the masterminds behind the rental scheme.
This crackdown follows the discovery of illegal settlements of 86 previously dislodged from under the Dolphin and Osborne Bridges in Ikoyi, where tenants paid substantial annual rents to unidentified landlords.
The enforcement team successfully removed all structures and arrested 18 individuals squatting under the Dolphin Estate Bridge.
Commissioner Wahab shared updates on these operations via social media, emphasizing the government’s commitment to clearing illegal settlements and ensuring public safety.
He said their swift action is to show the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s government’s commitment to address urban challenges and maintain order in Lagos State.
In another recent operation, 1,032 individuals were arrested for disregarding pedestrian bridges while 165 miscreants and squatters were cleared from the bridges across the state.
