Lagos state authorities have ramped up efforts to clear unauthorised structures and environmental hazards dotting the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, officials confirmed on Monday. The crackdown aims to restore order along the critical transport corridor linking Lagos to Badagry and surrounding areas.
Tokunbo Wahab, the state's commissioner for environment and water resources, announced the intensified operation via social media. He revealed the enforcement drive has been underway for three weeks, targeting illegal buildings and activities clogging public spaces along the route.
"Over the past three weeks, our enforcement team has intensified the clearance of shanties, illegal structures and other environmental nuisances along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway," he said.
The operation won't stop once structures come down, Wahab stressed. Authorities will maintain constant patrols and oversight to prevent violators from rebuilding or reclaiming seized spaces.
"This exercise will be followed by sustained surveillance and continuous monitoring to ensure that environmental order is restored and maintained along the corridor," the commissioner noted.
Wahab called on residents and business owners to halt the illegal conversion of public spaces into makeshift markets or private ventures. He warned they risk arrest and prosecution under state law if caught breaching environmental regulations.
"We urge members of the public to respect and preserve our environment by refraining from converting public spaces into illegal markets or for any unauthorised private use," he told reporters.
Anyone discovered encroaching on state-owned land or operating unlawfully will face the full force of the law, he added. "Anyone found encroaching on public spaces or using them for unlawful purposes will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the extant laws of Lagos state," Wahab warned.
