The Lagos State Environmental Taskforce on Friday intensified its clean-up enforcement drive in Agege, arresting 84 individuals suspected of various offences during a coordinated raid.
According to a statement issued by the Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, the operation is part of the government’s ongoing effort to sanitize public spaces and reclaim them from criminal and unauthorized occupants.
Wahab disclosed that the clean-up focused on key locations in the Agege axis, including the Railway Corridor (Ojurin), Isale Oja, Oke Koto, AP area, and adjoining streets — areas reportedly infiltrated by undesirable elements.
“During the raid exercise, a total number of 84 suspects were arrested, comprising 82 male and 2 female,” Wahab stated on Friday via his official social media handle.
“All the suspects will be charged to court accordingly,” he added.
The Commissioner emphasised that the operation was aimed not only at clearing illegal structures and shanties but also at tackling the rising concerns over insecurity and environmental degradation in parts of Agege.
“This exercise is not just about urban renewal,” Wahab added.
“It is also about protecting law-abiding citizens and ensuring public infrastructure is not hijacked or turned into hideouts for criminal activity.”
The Agege operation follows a series of similar clean-up and enforcement efforts carried out by the state in areas such as Oshodi, Orile, and the Lagos Island corridor, as part of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s broader agenda to ensure a safer and cleaner metropolis.
The Lagos State Taskforce reaffirmed that it would continue its enforcement activities in other parts of the city, warning that illegal street trading, squatting, and unauthorised occupation of public property would not be tolerated.
“All those arrested will face the full weight of the law,” Wahab said.
The clean-up initiative has drawn mixed reactions from residents, with some applauding the effort to restore order while others called for rehabilitation programmes for displaced individuals, particularly vulnerable groups caught up in the sweeps. – Kazeem Ugbodaga
Source; PM News.
