Lagos State Government on Thursday issued a 48-hour deadline for traders operating under the Apogbon Bridge and on drainage setbacks on Lagos Island to vacate the premises.
This action was confirmed by Tokunbo Wahab, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, after his inspection of the Savage/Elegbata Bombata Drainage channel near the Olowogbowo/Apongbon area.
A statement from the ministry’s spokesperson, Kunle Adeshina, outlined the announcement.
Wahab explained that the traders would be served abatement notices, emphasizing the need to clear the encroachments while maintaining the ongoing work and revisiting contracts to include additional collectors.
The initiative is part of the broader Lagos Island urban regeneration project.
During the inspection, Wahab also noted that some traders had turned the area under the Apongbon bridge into a livestock ranch and market, ordering an immediate relocation of these traders to designated markets.
“What we saw is not something that we are happy about. People have fully built on setback and drainage channels, and when you build structures on these infrastructures, how do you expect these infrastructures to be maintained?” he questioned.
He further highlighted that if compliance was not met, enforcement actions would follow, noting, “I have abused these infrastructures, and I have given directives to the appropriate department to serve notice of abatement.”
Wahab also ordered the sealing of two buildings for stacking construction materials on the drainage system, which is illegal and obstructs proper drainage.
The owners must remove the materials and clear the drainage before the buildings are unsealed.
Addressing the issue of stolen manhole covers, the commissioner revealed that his ministry was collaborating with the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to resolve the problem.
