LASG demolishes 138 shanties

The Lagos State government has demolished some shanties in Ajao Estate Canal bank, where tenants pay N100,000 annual rent.

On Thursday, the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps, popularly known as KAI, noted that its officials demolished 138 shanties and dislodged their 169 illegal residents.

This development was announced by the agency’s Corps Marshal, Maj Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (retd), at the agency’s command headquarters, Bolade-Oshodi.

Cole said, ‘‘Our intelligence sources identified the humongous infractions across the Ajao Estate Canal banks stretching several metres where people were living illegally in shanties and paid rents between N60,000 to N100,000 to a particular syndicate and this made us activate our enforcement teams for a total dislodgement.’’

Cole expressed dismay at the brazen level of disregard for public health and safety due to the clustered illegal encampment.

He cited the development as a catalyst for the spread of infectious diseases, sexual violence and social issues resulting from the accommodation of miscreants in such hidden areas.

The Corps Marshal reiterated the agency’s commitment to upholding Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s THEMES+ agenda, which aims to make Lagos cleaner and more habitable for business.

KAI stated it would exhaust all resources to achieve this mandate in the state.

He admonished Lagosians to stop patronising illegal public encampments as he affirmed that many infractions would be identified and demolitions would be activated in due course.

The PUNCH reported in May that the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said the government discovered an apartment under the Dolphin Estate Bridge, Ikoyi, where tenants paid N250,000 annual rent.

According to the commissioner, the under-bridge apartment had 86 partitioned rooms, sized “10×10 and 12×10”.