By GRACE ALEGBA

The Lagos State Taskforce has carried out a follow-up eviction operation and also served a five-day ultimatum on squatters and suspected miscreants around Lekki Coastal Road and Marwa Gardens.

This was contained in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos by the Director, Press and Public Affairs, Lagos State Taskforce, Mr Abdulraheem Gbadeyan.

Gbadeyan said the Chairman of the agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, in the early hours of Tuesday, led the enforcement which lasted about five hours.

Jejeloye said that the Lagos State Taskforce had visited the axis several times but the squatters were adamant and kept returning to sites they were evicted from.

“We have said it times without number that the clearing of the axis will be a continuous one until the state government commences construction of the alternative roads.

“The exercise is also necessary to frustrate criminal activities in the area,” he said.

Jejeloye appealed to owners of structures erected illegally along that axis to remove them before expiration of the five-day ultimatum.

“There are car repair outlets, brothels, viewing centres and kiosks, all erected illegally and haphazardly along the dedicated routes for the construction of the road and we have served them all the five-day notice to vacate the area or risk having their property brought down by the bulldozer,” he said.

He said that the notice was a follow-up to previous ones in addition to warnings to the squatters.

In another development, the Lagos State Taskforce also served removal/eviction notices to kiosk and makeshift shop owners along Fagba Railway crossing, posing danger to themselves and passengers.

The Taskforce chairman who led the operation said the activities of the petty traders posed safety and security risk while also compounded gridlock along the axis.

“These structures erected here have no form of approval whatsoever from the state government.

“Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that they are removed and Lagosians are allowed to move freely without any obstruction,” he said.

Jejeloye warned that strict enforcement would begin immediately the five-day eviction notice elapsed.

He warned against trading on rail tracks, saying that the state government was out to restore sanity around the rail tracks and its environs. (NAN)

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