Prepare To Lose Your Goods, Sanwo-Olu Warns Defiant Traders, Squatters On Lagos-Badagry Expressway

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has warned that illegal occupants, traders and squatters that have been cleared off the Lagos-Badagry Expressway will lose their properties and means of livelihood should they make any attempt to return to the corridor.

The governor gave the warning on Friday during an inspection visit to the area.

There is an ongoing cleanup exercise along the 10-lane highway, which is being carried out by a special intervention team.

The special taskforce has ejected illegal occupants and traders from the Doyin section of the highway towards Mile 2, paving the way for road reconstruction and regeneration of the corridor.

The cleanup operation started last month.

While assuring that the Doyin section of the highway would be reconstructed after the rainy season, Sanwo-Olu directed the Lagos State Public Works to ensure continued palliative maintenance on the failed section.

The governor said: “We have just finished an inspection of the ongoing cleanup exercise along the Lagos-Badagry corridor, where I moved round to see the outcome of the operation. Our taskforce is working to secure the entire right-of-way, remove miscreants and illegal trading activities along the entire corridor. I am delighted with the results of the cleanup work and I have given strong warning to residents and traders in the area.

“People saw the need for the environmental cleanup and they appreciated our efforts to preserve the corridor. We have been able to move all commercial vehicles that hitherto clogged the loops all the way to Mile 2 from Orile. We are going to wall off the road in order to keep the entire stretch tidy for reconstruction and beautification.

“There will be zero tolerance for encroachment on our right-of-way by anybody. We will not allow ejected traders return; those who want to return should be prepared for forfeiture of their goods. All the cabinet members that have responsibility in this regard have been instructed to continue this cleanup exercise. We will stop this bad habit and reckless behaviour, while ensuring that we bring back environmental sanity.”

Sanwo-Olu directed the special taskforce to immediately begin the extensive cleanup of the other side of the expressway, following the ejection notice served to all illegal traders and squatters on the highway.

The governor warned that any form of resistance would be met with stiff force.