Lagos issues ultimatum to owners of illegal structures, in Ikoyi, V/I, Lekki

The Lagos State Government on Sunday issued a 14-day ultimatum to owners of illegal structures, shanties and street hawkers in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki areas.

The Secretary to the State Government, Tunji Bello, who gave the ultimatum in a statement ordered that they should remove them or face the law.

It also ordered those who had converted walkways into commercial use in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and the Lagoon Front of Lekki area of the state to remove such them.

Mr. Bello warned that after the expiration of the ultimatum, the state Special Task Force on the cleanup of the areas would move in to enforce the laws.

He said that owners of all abandoned buildings in the areas harbouring prostitutes, miscreants and “unwanted elements” must clear such structures immediately.

He urged “the owners of all illegal structures, shanties, abandoned buildings and all those who have converted road median to commercial uses to comply.

“This is, especially, meant for those in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki, and they have between today and two weeks’ time to comply or have the Special Task Force to contend with,” Bello said.

He specifically warned owners of property on the Lagoon fronts of Lekki Phase 1 who had littered the areas with compactors and dead weight equipment to remove them immediately.

According to him, the state government is concerned about the conversion of the frontages of property and abandoned houses to kiosks and trading points by maids and guards.

He said the state government was also concerned about unregulated activities of horticulturists who had turned setbacks to hide outs and selling points.

Mr. Bello said the government was determined to restore the original master plan of the areas by checking the activities of roadside automobile repairers who had converted the dual carriage to single lanes through indiscriminate parking.

He said the state government would no longer tolerate unauthorised parking of vehicles, trucks, among others on drainage infrastructure.

He said owners of such vehicles and property with unkempt drainages would be prosecuted.

Mr. Bello said it was totally unacceptable for people to stockpile and display wares such as bags of charcoal on major roads like the Ahmadu Bello Way and the Federal Secretariat Road in Ikoyi.

He said that henceforth such goods would be confiscated and the owners prosecuted.

“We are using this medium to sensitise members of the public and residents of the affected areas who are involved in these illegalities to immediately take the right action and do the needful.

“The state government will take the necessary steps to enforce its environmental and sanitation laws forthwith,” he said.

(NAN)