Officers from the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offenses (Law Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce), during a nightly enforcement exercise last weekend, removed illegal structures including barracks , mechanical workshops, container kiosks and commercial bus garages around the public schools of Mile 2 and Badagry Expressway.
Agency president Olayinka Egbeyemi, chief police superintendent who led the law enforcement team, revealed that before the withdrawal exercise, the owners and occupants had received a “ 7 day notice of dismissal ” to leave the whole area and the surrounding area of the schools within the time limit.
Egbeyemi further stated that the expulsion exercise followed numerous complaints and petitions from residents, in particular the management of public schools, Imoye high school and Amuwo Odofin high school, that criminal elements had turned the area into haunts. / places to carry out their harmful activities. activities thus making the environment unpleasant for living or learning.
According to him, “the structures have been identified to house criminal elements who steal valuables not suspected from the public and also serve as an outlet for the sale of illegal hard drugs like Tramadol, Codeine, Skunk, Weed, including alcohol mixed with unbelievers. ”
“Lagos is the most populous state in Nigeria as well as its economic pace. As such, zero tolerance for all forms of crime and criminality in the current administration would be maintained, “added Egbeyemi. He reiterated that the owners / occupiers of illegal commercial structures like mechanics, food / fruit sellers and others have turned the whole area into a painful eye because everywhere, including around public schools, is usually littered with garbage , used tires / metals and abandoned vehicles / trucks among others.
The President declared that the Agency took action after the expiration of the notice of withdrawal in order to ensure the rapid clean-up of the environment and the suppression of the activities of the criminal minds who have become a source of disruption for law-abiding Lagosians, especially residents of the region.
Egbeyemi therefore implored all the owners / occupants of illegal structures and shacks around state public schools to remove them immediately before the exercise reaches their different areas, since any captured person would be seriously treated in accordance with the law .
However, he confirmed that the Office had started the verification exercise of the claim of the persons concerned, but with the legal documentation for the payment of the monetary compensation approved by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.