The Lagos State government has made a surprising discovery of a network of makeshift apartments beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge in the upscale area of Ikoyi, where tenants reportedly paid N250,000 per annum for a room.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed on Wednesday the uncovering of 86 partitioned rooms ranging in size from 10×10 to 12×10 feet under the bridge.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Wahab shared videos showing.he eviction and dismantling of structures beneath the bridge. He stated, “A total number of 86 rooms, partitioned into 10×10 and 12×10, and a container used for different illegal activities were discovered under the Dolphine Estate bridge.”
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Furthermore, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, a special adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, confirmed the removal of squatters from under the bridge, indicating the environmental infractions and unlawful settlements that made the eviction necessary.
“Squatters dwelling under the bridge leading from inward Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, were evicted today by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC),” Rotimi-Akodu stated.
Rotimi-Akodu emphasized the enforcement of the law to address such violations, noting that 23 individuals were arrested during the eviction process. He added, “These people created their illegal settlement under the bridge, thereby exposing the critical infrastructure to impending destruction. The law will take its course.”
Since the beginning of 2024, the Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to remove illegal structures encroaching on rights-of-way of rail lines and other essential infrastructure to enhance cleanliness and overall well-being. Previous removals include shanties infringing on space around the Blue Line rail under the Ijora Causeway Bridge and unauthorized structures at the Obalende Under-bridge.
In March, the campaign continued with the dismantling of illegal structures around Jakande Estate and Maiyegun in Lekki to reclaim the coastal road path for the Lagos-Calabar Highway project anpromotingurban renewal.
The government is expected to sustain this campaign, focusing on illegal structures around the Blue and Red Rail Lines and other critical infrastructure. This will reaffirm its commitment to eliminating squatter settlements and unauthorized buildings that have impacted negatively on the city’s town plan.