More than one thousand seven hundred illegal shanties and containerised shops were demolished around Fagba Railway lines, Agege in Lagos State.
They were demolished by operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences, Enforcement, Unit, Taskforce after the expiration of removal order by the government following series of complaints about criminal activities around Fagba, Agege.
Speaking during the demolition exercise, its Chairman, Olayinka Egbeyemi disclosed that owners/occupants of these illegal shanties and containerised shops had been served a seven-day ‘Removal Order’ by the government.
He disclosed that after the expiration of the Removal Order, the government gave them additional twenty-one days grace to remove their belongings and vacate the entire area before embarking on the demolition exercise.
According to Egbeyemi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, the illegal shanties and containerised shops were occupied by miscreants and hoodlums who terrorised innocent citizens around Fagba, Iju-Ishaga and Pen-Cinema area, dispossessing them of their valuables, especially early in the day and late at night.
He averred that investigations conducted had revealed that miscreants and hoodlums occupying these illegal shanties were responsible for the destructions of public properties and looting of shops immediately after the recent ‘EndSARS’ protest around Agege.
In his word, it is an eyesore with miscreants and hoodlums freely smoking and selling Indian hemp including prostitution by under-age boys and girls around Fagba railway lines.
The Chairman confirmed that suspected illegal substances, Indian hemp, and other dangerous drugs such as Codeine, Skunk and Tramadol were recovered during the demolition exercise.
He enjoined the public to support government in salvaging the State from the clutches of the notorious criminals by reporting any noticeable criminal activities around them to security Agencies.