A notice of eviction has been issued to squatters and suspected troublemakers residing near Lekki Coastal Road and Marwa Gardens by the Lagos State Taskforce.
This followed a previous eviction operation conducted by the taskforce.
On Tuesday morning, the Chairman of the Agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, led a five-hour operation to enforce the eviction notice.
Jejeloye revealed that the taskforce had visited the area multiple times before, but the squatters persisted in their defiance, returning after previous eviction attempts.
“We have said it times without number that the clearing of the axis will be a continuous one, until the state government commences construction of the alternative roads. The exercise is also necessary to frustrate criminal activities in the area”, he said.
CSP Jejeloye urged those who had unlawfully constructed buildings along that area to dismantle them prior to the expiration of the 5-day grace period provided by the state government.
“There are car repair outlets, brothels, viewing centres and kiosks, all erected illegally and haphazardly along the dedicated routes for the construction of the road and we have served them all, the 5-day notice to vacate the area or risk having their property brought down by bulldozers”, the task force chairman said.
The 5-day notice serves as a continuation of previous warnings and notices that have been issued to these squatters.
Similarly, the taskforce has taken a similar action by serving eviction notices to kiosk owners and vendors operating makeshift shops near the Fagba Railway crossing.
This measure is in response to the potential hazards these structures present to both passengers and the people themselves.
The chairman of the taskforce, who led the operation, emphasized that the activities of the small-scale traders created significant safety and security concerns in the area, adding that their removal had become necessary to ameliorate the traffic congestion caused by their presence.
“These structures erected here have no form of approval whatsoever from the state government, therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that they are removed and Lagosians are allowed to move freely without any obstruction”, he said.
Jejeloye cautioned the residents within the vicinity that a rigorous enforcement operation would commence immediately after the 5-day eviction notice period ends.
He strongly advised anyone considering setting up stalls or selling goods near the rail track to perish such thoughts as according to him, the state government was committed to restoring order and safety in the area surrounding the rail track.
