The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources in Lagos State, Tokunbo Wahab, has issued a five-day quit notice to illegal squatters located under the Ijora causeway bridge and Lagos Blue Rail Line overhead bridge in Ijora.
According to a post by the commissioner on his X handle, the occupants have been ordered to remove their shanties as they pose a danger to the Lagos Blue Line corridor.
The decision to issue the quit notice was made during an inspection tour of the Ijora under bridge and surrounding areas.
Wahab also gave a 24-hour quit notice to all those selling petroleum products under the Ijora Causeway Bridge to move all their trucks and containers or risk confiscation.
He stated that the government will not allow this to continue and that the State Task Force on Special Offences will take possession of the land under the Ijora Causeway Bridge.
He wrote “Earlier today, we went on inspection tour of the Ijora under bridge and environ where I instructed that a five-day quit notice be given to illegal squatters under the Ijora causeway bridge and Lagos Blue rail Line overhead bridge in Ijora to remove all their shanties for constituting a danger to the Lagos Blue Line corridor or risk demolition and removal.
“This quit notice is important due to the security risk that the occupation of underneath of the blue rail line bridge by minibuses, block moulders, fuel sellers and miscreants pose to the safe operation of the blue rail line service, and the government will not allow this to continue.
“The State Task Force on Special Offences will take full possession of the whole expanse of land under the Ijora Causeway Bridge and will be sustained by the State Government.
“I also gave a 24-hour quit notice to all those selling petroleum products under the Ijora Causeway Bridge to move all their trucks and containers or risk confiscation.
“The Environment team was also at the Park View Estate in Ikoyi where a secondary collector has been infringed upon from the upstream by building across and fencing it off
“I have directed the Drainage Enforcement and Compliance Department to serve proper notices to all the property owners asking them to give unfettered access to the state to monitor its secondary collectors and remove any impediments if any.
“Monitoring and enforcement of the laws on the environment will be an everyday affair and this explains why the ministry has picked up from where it stopped last year.
“The delegation included the Chairman, Special Squad on Restoration of the Lagos Badagry Rail Corridor, ACP Bayo Sulaiman, SA Environment, Hon. Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, PS Office of Drainage Services, Engr. Lekan Shodeinde and Environmental Services, Gaji Omobolaji, MD, LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin, GM LASEPA, Dr Tunde Ajayi, the GM LASPARK, Mrs Toun Popoola, Managing Director LASAA, Prince Fatiu Akiolu, Corps Marshal KAI, Mrs Gbemi Akinpelu, and other directors in the ministry.”
