To mitigate flooding during the rainy season, the Lagos State Government has issued a 48-hour eviction notice to property owners with illegal structures and to squatters along the Gbagada-Bariga Channel.
In a series of tweets on his verified account on X, Lagos State Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced that property owners who have deliberately built structures obstructing the free flow of water in the area will be removed.
The statement read: “The drainage channel, which defloods Bariga, Gbagada, Sholuyi downstream communities and environs, and discharges into System 1, has been taken over by squatters who have constituted a nuisance and security risk to the estate.
“Property owners who deliberately built structures to obstruct the free flow of water in the area will also be removed. Shanties were erected along the length of the channel, and their activities have blocked collectors that are supposed to carry stormwater into the channel, resulting in the flooding experienced during the week.
“Upon expiration of the notices served, the operatives of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources will commence removal of those contravening structures in order to deflood the area.”
Last week, business and commercial activities were disrupted on Wednesday due to a 10-hour downpour in many parts of the state.
The heavy rain caused a two-story building to collapse in the Mushin area, halted vehicular movement on the roads, prevented pupils from attending school in various parts of the state, and left many workers stranded on their way to work.
Additionally, the downpour forced many residents across the state to leave their homes.