The Lagos State Government, along with the Agege Local Government, has issued an order for traders and beggars occupying rail tracks along the Agege corridor to vacate the area immediately. At a stakeholders meeting held on Saturday, illegal occupants, shanty owners, traders, and beggars were instructed to leave the premises before strick enforcement measures, including demolition, are implemented. Afolabi Ayantayo, the Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training, and Pension, emphasized the urgency of the situation, urging shanty occupants to vacate the rail lines prior to the commencement of enforcement actions.
“It has come to our notice that various criminal activities are being carried out along the rail corridor. We learnt that the shanties are harbouring criminals attacking passers-by and residents at night.
“The government has invested a lot of money in the rail project and we don’t want anybody to sabotage and deface the infrastructure, that’s why we are educating and warning the people involved to vacate the are before enforcements begin. I am calling on the police to face this task seriously.”
The commissioner urged community and market leaders to educate their residents and traders against trading on railway lines to avoid future arrests by an impending joint enforcement team. Ayantayo expressed gratitude to the local government for hosting the meeting on behalf of the Lagos State Government and implored everyone to adhere to the government’s directives.
Additionally, Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, through his representatives Jubril AbdulKareem, emphasized the importance of proper sanitation and avoiding the railway track for traders, noting that the government plans to demolish shanties after the stakeholder’s meeting.
We need to understand the reason the government is doing this enforcement. It is for our safety and for our benefits. The railway is for the benefit of the people not for trading; and the bridges are meant for begging or commercial purposes.
Earlier, Ganiyu Egunjobi, the Chairman of Agege Local Government, emphasized that prioritizing enforcement and holding individuals accountable for their actions along the railway lines is now a government focus. He reiterated that the community police would collaborate with law enforcement to appehend those responsible.
“It’s important to emphasise sanitation and the value chain to dangers attached to street trading indiscriminate dumping of refuse, illegal structures open defecation, and other criminal activities along the corridor. Our main focus is to provide a healthy environment for everyone, to protect the security and dignity of the residents.” he said