LASG demolishes 200 illegal shanties, finds dummy gun under Costain Bridge

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Lagos State Government has taken decisive action to reclaim public spaces and enhance urban security by demolishing over 200 illegal shanties and evicting squatters along Apapa Road, Ijora, and beneath the Costain Bridge.

The crackdown also involved removing abandoned vehicles that had become hubs for criminal activities.

Led by Sola Giwa, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Transportation, the operation uncovered a dummy gun and other dangerous weapons concealed under makeshift structures at Costain Bridge, highlighting serious security threats.

Giwa condemned the state of these areas as “a monumental affront to public decency, environmental order, and the collective security of Lagosians.”

He emphasised, “No responsible government would tolerate such lawlessness in critical infrastructural zones vital to the state’s economy.”

The exercise targeted traffic robberies, drug peddling locations, unauthorised garages, and derelict vehicles used as hideouts, with agencies like LAWMA, KAI, LAMATA, LASTMA, and the Nigeria Police Force working in concert.

Giwa warned, “Any displaced occupants attempting to return to the cleared sites would face swift sanctions,” while praising the strong inter-agency cooperation and urging Lagos residents to remain vigilant.

The cleanup aligns with the Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to creating “a safer, cleaner, and more habitable Lagos” in its drive to transform the city into a 21st-century megacity.