Lagos State Government said it has intensified efforts to arrest and prosecute the ring leaders who rented out the underbridge apartments to tenants, vowing that the state government would not give up until the ring leaders were caught and brought to book.
It would be recalled that the state government had earlier dislodged tenants under Dolphins Estate Bridge, who paid N250,000 annually to landlords involved in the nefarious act.
The State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, gave the vow at the ongoing ministerial press briefing to commemorate the first year of the second term of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration.
This was just as the commissioner said that all the structures had been dismantled and a total of 36 miscreants who lived under the bridge arrested, while efforts were being intensified to arrest the ring leaders who rented out the underbridge apartments which also had electricity supply.
Besides, Wahab disclosed that 165 miscreants and squatters on the pedestrian bridges across the state were also dislodged and the bridges cleaned up.
“All the structures have been dismantled and a total of 36 miscreants who lived under the bridge were arrested while efforts are being intensified to arrest the ring leaders who rented out the underbridge apartments which also had electricity supply.
“An unbelievable 80 rooms partitioned into 10×10 and 10×12 and a container used for different illegal activities we also discovered.
“165 miscreants and squatters on the pedestrian bridges across the state were also dislodged and the bridges cleaned up. Just about 24 hours ago, the operatives carried out an operation that unearthed a major illegal housing settlement constructed under the Dolphin Bridge Ikoyi.
“In a renewed step to ensure the safety of lives of residents, the Operatives of Kick Against Indiscipline, KAI/LAGESC, in line with the provisions of the Lagos State Environmental Protection Management law renewed the enforcement of the use of pedestrian bridges.
“At the count, a total number of 1,032 persons were arrested for crossing the highway and failure to use pedestrian bridges,” he said.
On banning styrofoam, the commissioner disclosed that a total of over 900kg of Styrofoam food containers had so far been confiscated and deposited at the TLS Marini in Oshodi for destruction.
He said this followed the ban placed on the product, and the stakeholders’ parley as well as the expiration of the three weeks’ “moratorium to mop-up Styrofoam products from distributors and Lagos markets.”
“Following my announcement of a ban on the usage sale and distribution of Styrofoam food containers on January 22, 2024, due to grave health concerns and the dangers to our ecosystem and drainage channels, the Ministry through the Sanitation Services Department facilitated meetings with stakeholders concerned and followed up the 3 weeks’ moratorium to mop-up Styrofoam products from distributors and Lagos markets.
“After the expiration, enforcement activities were commenced by a joint effort of scientific officers in the Ministry, Environmental Health Officers as well as KAI personnel in the state.
“A total of over 900 kg of Styrofoam food containers have so far been confiscated and deposited at the TLS Marini in Oshodi for destruction.
“More efforts are, however, being intensified on public awareness and sensitization of residents on the dangers inherent in the continued usage of the Styrofoam food containers. One of our agencies, LAWMA during the period under review identified 103 illegal black spots across the metropolis and made efforts to ensure their dislodging, just as a total number of 1,081 environmental offenders were arrested for various environmental offences with 1,016 being prosecuted by the Mobile Magistrate’s court and sentenced to community service at various locations in the state, with an option of fine.
“Monitoring gangs were also deployed across 20 Local Governments to capture evidence of illegal dumping activities and possible prosecution,” he said.
Also speaking on tenants under bridges, the Special Adviser (SA) on Environment and Water Resources, to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Mr. Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, further confirmed the eviction of illegal settlers from beneath the bridge towards Dolphin Estate in Ikoyi.
Rotimi-Akodu said a total of 23 individuals were arrested during the eviction, which was carried out by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, popularly known as KAI, noting that the exercise was part of an ongoing clampdown on illegal structures across the metropolis and aimed to rid Lagos of illegal structures.
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