The Lagos State Government has issued a directive for the immediate eviction of squatters and traders who have turned the underside of the yet-to-be-commissioned Opebi–Mende Bridge into makeshift homes and business spaces.
The order followed an unscheduled inspection visit to the bridge on Thursday by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, accompanied by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Infrastructure, Olufemi Daramola, and the Permanent Secretary, Olatokunbo Oyenuga.
In a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs at the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Kunle Adeshina, Wahab instructed security agencies to immediately dislodge all squatters and demolish any illegal structures found beneath the bridge.
“The Lagos State Government has given a marching order for the immediate dislodgement of all types of squatters who have converted the underbelly of the new but yet-to-be-commissioned Opebi–Mende Bridge into homes and stores,” the statement read.
Wahab emphasized that the government would not permit the misuse of newly constructed infrastructure, warning that such spaces would not be allowed to become safe havens for unlawful activity.
“It is disheartening that an iconic project which is almost ready for commissioning, has suddenly been taken over by different shades of miscreants and squatters. Even some people from the Cane Village have come to the underbelly of the bridge to create an illegal settlement. We will not only dislodge them but also permanently monitor the location to ensure they do not return,” Wahab said.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Wahab reaffirmed the state’s zero-tolerance stance on disorder, issuing a warning to mechanics who had converted surrounding open areas into workshops.
“Security agencies will move in immediately, and we will sustain monitoring to ensure squatters do not return. The Opebi–Mende Bridge is a huge investment by the Babajide Sanwo-Olu–led administration, and we will protect it for the benefit of law-abiding citizens,” he wrote.
Special Adviser on Infrastructure, Engr. Daramola, highlighted the scale of government investment in the bridge and warned that unchecked illegal occupation could degrade the area into a slum. He pledged close coordination with the Ministry of the Environment to restore and maintain the space.
The Opebi–Mende–Ojota Link Bridge, initiated by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and launched on January 26, 2022, spans approximately 3.9 kilometers. It is designed to connect Opebi in Ikeja through Mende to Maryland and Ojota, helping to ease traffic congestion along major routes like Mobolaji Bank-Anthony and Kudirat Abiola Way.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government has continued its broader enforcement efforts across the state, targeting illegal structures under bridges and along drainage channels in areas including Ijora, Apongbon, Obalende, and Adeniji-Adele, in a bid to reclaim public infrastructure and address safety, environmental, and traffic-related concerns.
