Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led Lagos State government on Thursday announced the demolition of shanties and makeshift structures along the Lekki-Epe expressway, at Orchid Junction and Eleganza Bus Stop.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokumbo Wahab, who made this known in a post on X (formerly Twitter) said the task force officers from the ministry who carried out the demolition exercise also demolished shanties allegedly serving as a criminal hideout in the Ikota area of the state.
According to him, 15 persons allegedly in possession of offensive weapons were arrested.
The Commissioner said, “Taskforce officers from the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources @LasgMOE carried out demolition of shanties and makeshift structures that deface the expressway at Orchid Junction, Eleganza Busstop, Lekki-Epe Expressway, and shanties serving as criminal hideout in Ikota today (Thursday, 5th of October). 15 suspects with offensive weapons were also arrested.”
Thursday’s demolition by the state government comes amid groaning and protests by the residents of Oworonshoki and Idi Araba communities in the Kosofe and Mushin local government areas of the state who were thrown into lamentation in July as Sanwo-Olu's administration demolished their houses without providing them with alternative shelters.
Our Reporters had reported that the state government through the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources issued the affected residents only one week's notice to vacate their homes, after which, it went on with the demolition.
In September, SaharaReporters reported that one of the residents of Oworonshoki lost his pregnant wife and their child at birth.
The victim blamed the government and the demolition for the tragedy. He said that his wife died as a result of high blood pressure following the demolition of their home and destruction of properties, adding that since their home was demolished by the state government, his pregnant wife had developed high blood pressure that never went down until her death.
On Thursday, like in the case of Oworonshoki and Idi Araba communities, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Wahab, did not say if the government provided alternative places for the people whose shanties and makeshift structures were destroyed.
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