The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps, commonly known as KAI, has removed residents from 84 illegal rooms constructed under the Eko Bridge at Elegbata on Lagos Island.
This was disclosed by Corps Marshal, retired Major Olanini Cole, in a statement issued on Monday by the agency’s spokesperson, Lukman Ajayi.
According to Cole, the operation was ordered by the Lagos Commissioner for Environment after a resident reported an attack by individuals from the settlement. “The petitioner alerted the authorities, leading to the directive for demolition,” Cole said.
During the operation, KAI also arrested a man accused of building an eight-room toilet facility and connecting its pipes directly into the Lagoon. “It is shocking that eight toilet pipes were linked to the Lagoon, right next to where fishermen were working,” Cole stated, adding that some occupants also cooked food there for sale, posing a health risk. “The water they are using to cook can cause public health hazards. One person operating the toilet was detained,” he added.
Cole mentioned that some of the evicted individuals had lived there for up to 30 years. Many claimed they stayed under the bridge because they could not afford proper housing.
He further stated that similar operations would be carried out across the state to clear other illegal settlements and reduce crime at these locations.
