Lagos Taskforce Demolishes 120 Illegal Shops, Structures in Lekki

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

A Lagos State government taskforce has dismantled no fewer than 120 shops and illegal structures, including those constructed under high-tension cables at the Itedo area of Lekki phase 1.

The taskforce boss, Olayinka Egbeyemi, who led the massive pull down, said the occupants had received six-months demolition notice.

Egbeyemi, speaking through the spokesman of the agency, Taofiq Adebayo said: “Radiation from these high tension cables poses serious danger to human health, no responsible and responsive government would put any of her citizens lives at risks.

“The illegal shops including structures constructed under high tension cables are a sorry sight with miscreants and hoodlums freely smoking marijuana.”

He urged them to take advantage of the newly introduced ‘Rent-To-Own’ housing policy scheme of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode which has more than 4,355 fully equipped housing unit spread across the state.

He said the housing policy was meant to alleviate housing problem of both low and middle-income earners and to equally discourage people living at any restricted areas.

Egbeyemi also urged traders and middle income earners to apply and benefit from the N25 billion Lagos State Empowerment Trust Fund (LSETF) scheme which tend to help residents grow and scale their micro small/medium enterprises with N500,000 to N5million soft loan.

Issuing a warning for people to stop trading at any restricted area in Lagos including under high-tension cables across the state, he also urged both owners and occupiers of shops and structures constructed under high-tension cables across the state to remove them, as the demolition exercise would be extended to other areas.

One of the residents of the area who simply identified himself as Dr. Femi Ololade, commended the government for saving the lives of both traders and residents living under high-tension cables.

Ololade who made reference to an incident where several people died when a high-tension cable fell on a viewing centre in Calabar during a football match, urged citizens to cooperate with the government and stop endangering their lives.