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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Crime & Justice

Shanties: Lagos vows prosecution, permanent enforcement on Badagry Expressway

From The Punch · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • The Lagos State Government vowed permanent enforcement against illegal shanties on the Badagry Expressway median, warning of prosecution for offenders.
  • Commissioner Tokunbo Wahab inspected the ongoing clearance exercise, emphasizing the median's reservation for a future rail line.
  • The government also addressed indiscriminate waste disposal on medians, urging residents to use designated services and warning of prosecution for polluters.

The Lagos State Government has declared its intention to permanently enforce the removal of illegal makeshift structures and shanties from the median along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway. Offenders who return to the cleared areas will face prosecution, according to officials.

We have drawn the mark on the ground. It’s a major highway. Tons of taxpayers’ money have been used to put this in place. In the past few years, we’ve been talking to them and moving them back.

— Tokunbo WahabExplaining the significance of the median and past efforts.

Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, disclosed this during an inspection of the ongoing clearance exercise. The exercise saw officials removing wooden structures and burning debris, even amidst heavy rainfall. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had previously ordered the clearance, pledging to allocate necessary resources.

For now, the operation is once and for all to control it. Let the businesses have a setback and make the median free for all road users.

— Tokunbo WahabDescribing the government's objective for the clearance exercise.

Wahab stated that the inspection aimed to assess compliance with the governor's directive. He emphasized that the median has been clearly marked and is designated for a future rail line, thus it must remain clear for all road users. The commissioner stressed that the operation is intended to be a one-time, definitive measure to control the situation and allow businesses a proper setback.

We will continue to patrol and monitor every day.

— Tokunbo WahabOutlining the strategy to prevent the return of illegal occupants.

Regarding indiscriminate waste disposal, Wahab blamed residents and traders for dumping refuse on road medians, contributing to recent flash flooding. He urged the public to utilize Private Sector Participation (PSP) waste operators or notify the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) if services are unavailable. Wahab reiterated the government's commitment to prosecuting individuals who violate environmental laws, noting that over 1,000 people have been prosecuted in the past year.

It’s for the rail line coming this way. That’s why it’s wide and we have to keep it free for them.

— Tokunbo WahabExplaining the planned use for the wide median.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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