The Lagos State Government issued a five-day notice on Sunday to various squatters residing under the Ijora Causeway bridge and the Lagos Blue Rail Line overhead bridge in Ijora, instructing them to dismantle their shanties due to safety concerns for the Lagos Blue Line corridor. Failure to comply may result in the demolition and removal of their structures.
The notice was delivered by HC MOE&WR Tokunbo Wahab during an inspection of the Ijora under bridge, accompanied by a team including the Chairman of the Special Squad on Restoration of the Lagos Badagry Rail Corridor, ACP Bayo Sulaiman, and SA Environment, Kunle ROTIMI-Akodu.
Wahab expressed concern about the security risks posed by the occupation of the area under the Blue Rail Line bridge by minibuses, block moulders, fuel sellers, and miscreants, emphasizing that such activities jeopardize the safe operation of the Blue Rail Line service, and the government will not tolerate it.
The Commissioner announced that the State Task Force on Special Offences would take control of the entire land under the Ijora Causeway Bridge and would be supported by the State Government.
Additionally, a 24-hour notice was issued to petroleum product sellers under the Ijora Causeway Bridge to relocate their trucks and containers or face confiscation, as their presence poses significant risks to the infrastructure and safety of the area.
Wahab emphasized that enforcement actions against distributors and sellers of styrofoam products would be postponed until the end of a three-week moratorium granted to allow them to sell off their existing stock.
Furthermore, the Environment team visited Park View Estate in Ikoyi, where a secondary collector had been obstructed by buildings and fencing. Wahab instructed the Drainage Enforcement and Compliance Department to serve notices to property owners, requesting unrestricted access to monitor secondary collectors and remove any obstructions.
Wahab emphasized that environmental law monitoring and enforcement would be conducted regularly, continuing from previous efforts. The delegation included officials from various departments and agencies involved in environmental management and enforcement.
