The Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) on Thursday demolished 45 shanties at LASU round-about in Iba area of Lagos
A statement issued on Thursday in Lagos by Mr Adebayo Taofiq, the Public Affairs Officer of the unit, said demolition notices were served on occupants of the shanties on May 2 to remove their goods and possessions.
It said that the Chairman of the Lagos State Environmental Taskforce, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, had decried the traffic gridlock on the road due to the shanties.
According to the statement, miscreants also used the shanties as hideout, therefore necessitating the demolition of the structures.
“After the demolition, LASU-Iba road that had been experiencing traffic gridlock was clear because those patronising the illegal traders could not do their business as usual.
“Even residents around the area were jubilating during the demolition because the area would be free from activities of miscreants who usually unleashed terror on them at night”, it said.
The statement quoted Egbeyemi as warning members of the public against erecting shanties on road set-backs, walkways, drainages and canal setbacks.
“Government will no longer condone any illegalities across the state’’, it added.
The statement further said that the removal and clearing of shanties by the government was to prevent flooding as the rainy season was fast approaching.