Dare Babalola
The Lagos State Government has carried out a major enforcement exercise, demolishing over 200 illegal shanties and dislodging squatters in areas around Apapa Road, Ijora, and Costain under bridges.
The operation, led by Hon. Sola Giwa, Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, aimed to reclaim public spaces, restore environmental order, and ensure public safety.
The development was made public by Adebayo Taofiq, the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), on Friday.
Taofiq said LASTMA operatives uncovered a dummy gun and other dangerous weapons hidden beneath the bridges during the operation.
“The exercise strategically targeted the reclamation and sanitization of critical public spaces that had been desecrated by unlawful habitation, environmental degradation, and nefarious criminal activities.
“During the extensive operation, personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) made a shocking discovery—a dummy firearm and other dangerous weapons clandestinely concealed within makeshift structures beneath the bridges. This alarming revelation underscored the exigency of the intervention and validated the State Government’s proactive stance against festering criminal hideouts in key transportation corridors,” the statement said.
Hon. Giwa condemned the unlawful activities and shanty settlements, describing them as an affront to public decency and collective security.
He further asserted that “no responsive and responsible government would countenance such brazen lawlessness within vital infrastructural zones that sustain the State’s socio-economic engine.”
The Special Adviser reiterated that the clearance exercise was designed to eradicate incessant traffic robberies, dismantle drug peddling enclaves, and abate chronic environmental nuisances that had plagued the axis for years.
The operation also resulted in the removal of unauthorised garages and abandoned trucks, which had been converted into criminal dens. Hon. Giwa warned that any attempt by displaced miscreants to return to the cleared sites would be met with swift sanctions.
The multi-agency exercise involved the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), and the Nigeria Police Force, all working together to restore environmental order and safety.
Hon. Giwa commended the seamless cooperation among participating agencies and enjoined residents to remain vigilant, law-abiding, and supportive of government initiatives.
This intervention is part of the Sanwo-Olu administration’s urban renewal and environmental restoration agenda, aimed at reclaiming public infrastructure, ensuring citizen security, and preserving the aesthetic dignity of Lagos State’s transportation corridors.
