The Lagos State Government has ordered the immediate eviction of all squatters living under the Opebi-Mende Bridge, following reports that the area has been converted into makeshift homes and business spaces.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the directive in a statement issued on Thursday by the ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Kunle Adeshina.
Wahab stated that it was “disturbing and unacceptable” that the underbelly of the new, yet-to-be-inaugurated bridge had been occupied by squatters, traders, and miscreants. He instructed security agencies to move in swiftly and clear the illegal occupants, stressing that the state government would not tolerate any encroachment on public infrastructure.
“The primary duty of any government is the protection of lives and property, and this administration will not fail in that responsibility,” Wahab said. “It is disheartening that an iconic project nearing completion has been taken over by miscreants and illegal settlers.”
He disclosed that people from nearby communities, including the Cane Village area, had begun erecting shanties beneath the bridge, creating an unauthorized settlement. The commissioner vowed that the state would not only clear the squatters but would also maintain strict surveillance to prevent reoccupation.
Wahab also warned automobile mechanics who had converted open spaces adjacent to the bridge into workshops to vacate immediately or risk having their vehicles impounded.
Special Adviser on Infrastructure, Olufemi Daramola, who led officials on an inspection tour of the site, expressed concern that the area could degenerate into a slum if immediate steps were not taken.
He emphasised that the state government had invested heavily in the construction of the bridge and would not allow it to be turned into a haven for criminal activity.
Daramola also assured that the Office of Infrastructure would work closely with the Ministry of Environment to restore and sustain orderliness around the project site.
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