The Lagos State Government has demolished more than 200 illegal shanties and dislodged several criminal hideouts beneath bridges in the Costain–Ijora axis as part of its ongoing efforts to restore environmental order and improve public safety.
The large-scale clearance exercise, coordinated through a joint operation of multiple government agencies, was led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon. Sola Giwa.
According to the state, the move is part of its drive to reclaim public spaces that have been overtaken by illegal occupants, abandoned vehicles, and criminal activities.
During the operation, personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) reportedly uncovered a dummy gun and other dangerous weapons hidden within makeshift structures under the bridge. The discovery, officials said, reinforced the urgency of the enforcement and justified the state’s crackdown on criminal enclaves along key transport corridors.
Hon. Giwa, who supervised the exercise, condemned the condition of the area before the demolition, describing it as “a monumental affront to public decency, environmental order, and the collective security of Lagosians.”
He added that “no responsive and responsible government would tolerate such brazen lawlessness within vital infrastructural zones that sustain the State’s socio-economic engine.”
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Giwa said the operation was targeted at eradicating traffic robberies, dismantling drug peddling hubs, and removing abandoned trucks that had become criminal shelters around Ijora Bridge and adjoining roads. He warned that the government would not hesitate to sanction anyone who attempts to return to the cleared sites.
The exercise, which also covered Apapa Road, Ijora, and Costain under bridges inward Iponri, involved teams from the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), and the Nigeria Police Force.
Giwa commended the collaboration among the agencies and urged residents to remain law-abiding and supportive of government initiatives aimed at creating a safer and cleaner Lagos.
He reaffirmed that the Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration remains committed to sustaining urban renewal and environmental enforcement across the state, as part of its goal to achieve “a safer, cleaner, and more habitable Lagos that reflects the spirit of a 21st-century megacity.”