To curb flooding during the rainy season, the Lagos State Government has given a 48-hour ultimatum to property owners and squatters occupying illegal structures along the Gbagada-Bariga Channel to vacate the area so as to pave the way for demolition and clearance of the waterway.
In a series of tweets on his verified account on X, the Lagos State Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said property owners who deliberately built structures that obstruct the free flow of water in the area will be removed.
The statement read: “The drainage channel, which defloods Bariga, Gbagada, Sholuyi downstream communities and environs, and discharges into System 1, has been taken over by squatters who have constituted a nuisance and security risk to the estate.
“Property owners who deliberately built structures to obstruct the free flow of water in the area will also be removed. Shanties were erected along the length of the channel, and their activities have blocked collectors that are supposed to carry stormwater into the channel, resulting in the flooding experienced during the week.
“Upon expiration of the notices served, the operatives of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources will commence removal of those contravening structures in order to deflood the area.”
Last week, business and commercial activities were disrupted on Wednesday following a 10-hour downpour in many parts of the state.
The downpour had resulted in the collapse of a two-story building in the Mushin area, grounded vehicular movement on the roads, prevented pupils from attending school in parts of the state, and many workers were also stranded on their way to work.
The heavy downfall had also sacked many from their homes across the state.
