National Telescope national telescope newspaper
By Lillian Edward, LAGOS |
The Lagos State Government has asked residents living under the bridge in the state to vacate the premises.
This is as it warned miscreants who had taken under some of the bridges across the states as their permanent homes to desist from the act and relocate.
The state government has in recent times taken proactive steps against miscreants and thugs living under bridges and abandoned buildings in the state.
Recently the state government uncovered 86 partitioned rooms, sized 10×10 and 12×10 under the bridge where tenants were paying N250,000 per annum.
The State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, the demolition exercise disclosed that 165 miscreants and squatters were also dislodged while the bridges were cleaned up.
The State Government had also cited the influx of “miscreants” as a reason for the demolition of erected structures under the Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi Lagos.
Aside from living under the bridges, some have converted it into a market marketplace where trading of goods and services is carried out.
In November 2022, the former Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, while supporting the passage of laws to ensure the protection of bridges, warned Lagos residents against using under bridges as trading centres.
According to him, the bridges were built for ease of vehicular movement, movement of goods and services, and for the benefit of humanity, not for commercial purposes.
Speaking exclusively with NATIONAL TELESCOPE, the State Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso said, “Nobody has the right to confiscate a bridge and convert it into a home; that is an abuse of a public facility. Nobody should stay under the bridge.”
