The Lagos State Government says it has issued a 48-hour eviction notice to property owners and squatters in illegal structures along the Gbagada-Bariga Channel.
Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, on Sunday disclosed this in a statement.
According to Wahab, any structure built to obstruct the free flow of water in the area will be removed.
He stated that the illegal buildings are the reason the recent flooding engulfed the state on Wednesday, which also led to the collapse of a two-story building in the Mushin area, and disrupted transportation.
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.”
He added that the operatives of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources will commence removal of such buildings after the expiration of the evacuation notice, in order to deflood the area.
