Lagos govt. arrested 1,037 for crossing highways, on the trail of Dolphin under-bridge landlords
Ayodele Olalere
The Lagos State Government says 1,037 people have so far been arrested for crossing highways and failure to use pedestrian bridges, while a total of 3,114 were arrested for flouting various environmental rules across the state in the last one year.
The state government also says its on the trail of individuals that rented out Obalende under bridge to some Lagosians and collecting rent from.them
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this on Friday during the ongoing 2024 Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the first year of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s second term in office.
Wahab noted that 165 miscreants and squatters on the pedestrian bridges across the state were also dislodged and the bridges cleaned up.
Speaking on the Dolphin under-bridge incident, Wahab said the government has intensified efforts to arrest and prosecute the ring leaders who rented out the under-bridge apartments to tenants who also rear children in the place.
“Our operatives carried out an operation that unearthed a major illegal housing settlement constructed under the Dolphin bridge Ikoyi.
An unbelievable 80 number of rooms partitioned 10×10 and 10×12, and a container used for different illegal activities were also discovered.
“All the structures have been dismantled and a total of 26 miscreants who lived underneath were arrested, while efforts are being intensified to arrest the gang leaders who rented out the under bridge apartments, which also had electricity supply,” he said.
He gave the assurance that the government would catch the perpetrators ‘no matter how far they run, we would catch them’
Wahab also mentioned some of the achievements of ministry to include the Kick Against Indiscipline, in conjunction with the State Task Force on Special Offences operation on clearing the ljora causeway under-bridge, the Apongbon under-bridge and Obalende under-bridge, which has become abode to undesirable elements who posed security risk to the state.
“We carried out clearing of Lagos coastal road at Maiyegun Estate, Jakande, preparatory to the commencement of the construction of the Lagos Coastal road. The agency arrested a total of 1,886 comprising illegal traders, street traders, environment polluters and cart pushers.
All these individuals were prosecuted according to the 2017 Lagos State Environmental Protection Management Law,” he said.
He added hat perishable food items and goods confiscated during enforcement raids were donated to orphanages, motherless babies homes and the needy as prescribed by the law.
The commissioner said that various actions were taken in terms of beautification and restoring the aesthetics of the Lagos environment.
He said that the Lagos Signage and Advertising Company (LASAA) embarked on a comprehensive project to replace dilapidated street directional signs across the state.
He noted that the action was aimed at enhancing navigability, safety, and aesthetics within urban areas.
Through the State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), he said the ministry undertook 367 enforcement activities in households, markets, hotels, warehouses, service centres, eateries, stores, church, mosques.
The commissioner said that 76 abatement notices were served on individuals and organisations violating law on indiscriminate discharge of raw sewage into the lagoon or other forms of water and land pollution.