Officials of the Lagos State Task force have demolished over 2,500 illegal structures erected under high tension cables and recovered a dane-gun and illicit drugs during the exercise in Surulere and Ijaiye areas of Lagos on Saturday.
The demolition exercise was carried out sequel to the mandate of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode on the removal of illegal structures across the State, especially the ones under high tension cables and with the directives of the acting Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi for the Lagos State Task Force to get rid of all criminal hideouts,.
SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force who led the demolition exercise disclosed that over 2,500 illegal structures and containers were demolished with the recovery of a ‘Dane-gun’ from the Bode Thomas, Surulere wing of the operations and wraps of substances suspected to be Indian hemp also recovered from Powerline Street at Ijaiye under Ojokoro Local Government.
The chairman disclosed further that before the agency embarked on the demolition exercise, all owners and occupiers of these over 2,500 demolished illegal structures and containers were served with removal order notice by the government.
He stated that radiation from these high tension cables posed serious danger to human health and that no responsible and responsive government would put lives of her citizens at risks.
“These demolished illegal structures and containers constructed under these high tension cables were eye sore with miscreants and hoodlums freely smoking Indian hemp, including prostitution by under-age boys and girls around the area.
“Wraps of substances suspected to be Indian hemp and other outlawed drugs such as ‘Tramadol-200 Super’, Tramadol Capsules RG11′ and ‘Analgin Injection 500mg’ were recovered from a dreadful notorious cult group called “Adura Boys’ who have been terrorising Powerline Street and other suburbs of Ijaiye in Ojokoro.
“Members of this dreadful notorious cult group, ‘Adura Boys’ robbed innocent citizens of their money, including other valuable items such as phones, wallets and jewelries,” he explained.
The chairman advised landlords, Community Development Associations, CDAs, traditional rulers and other relevant stakeholders to stop allocating lands indiscriminately and collecting money from innocent citizens in order to erect illegal shanties/structures under high tension cables as anyone caught would be arrested and charge to court.
He enjoined members of the public living or engaging in trading activities under high tension cables across the state to vacate and remove their properties immediately.
Egbeyemi, however, confirmed that three people arrested at Bode Thomas area of Surulere in connection with the recovered ‘Dane-gun’, Mr. Saka Lawal, Mrs Tawa Lawal and Miss Kausara Saka were transferred to the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja on the directives of Imohimi.
A concerned citizen, Mr. Eniola Augustin commended the government for the demolition exercise.
He lamented that apart from people risking their lives by living and engaging in trading activities under high tension cables, some members of a dreadful cult group called ‘Adura Boys’ always escaped into these illegal structures and containers after attacking innocent citizens with dangerous weapons.