Lagos destroys 1,700 shops, shanties in Fagba

Personnel of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, popularly referred to as taskforce, have demolished over 1,700 shanties and containerised shops around Fagba Railway lines, Agege.

The Head of Public Affairs Unit, Lagos State Task Force, Adebayo Taofiq, stated this in a statement on Sunday.

The chairman of the agency, Olayinka Egbeyemi, during the demolition, said owners and occupants of the demolished shanties and containerised shops had been served a seven-day ‘removal order’ by the government based on series of complaints about criminal activities around Fagba, Agege.

He noted that after the expiration of the removal order, the government gave them additional 21 days grace to remove their belongings and vacate the entire area before embarking on the demolition exercise.

Egbeyemi said, “These illegal shanties and containerised shops were occupied by miscreants and hoodlums who terrorised innocent citizens around Fagba, Iju-Ishaga and Pen-Cinema area, dispossessing them of their valuables, especially early in the day and late at night.

“Investigations conducted revealed that miscreants and hoodlums occupying these illegal shanties were responsible for the destructions of public properties and looting of shops immediately after the recent ‘EndSARS’ protest around Agege.

“It was an eyesore with miscreants and hoodlums freely smoking and selling Indian hemp including prostitution by under-age boys and girls around Fagba railway lines.”

The chairman confirmed that suspected illegal substances (Indian hemp) and other dangerous drugs such as codeine, skunk and tramadol were recovered during the demolition exercise.