The Lagos State Task Force has said that its operatives has demolished 2,500 illegal structures built under high tension cables in Ijaiye, Ojokoro area and Bode Thomas in Surulere area of Lagos State.
This was contained in a press statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by Head of Public Affairs Unit of the Task Force, Mr. Adebayo Taofiq, copy of which was sent to The DEFENDER.
Taofiq stated in the statement that the demolition was sequel to the mandate of Government Akinwumi Ambode of the state on the removal of illegal structures across Lagos, “most especially the ones under high tension cables”.
He said the operations were also in line with the directives of the Commissioner of Police, Acting CP Edgal Imohimi, for the Lagos State Task Force to get rid of all criminal hideouts.
Chairman of the Lagos State Task Force, SP Olayinka Egbeyemi, who led the demolition exercise disclosed that over 2500 illegal structures and containers were demolished with the recovery of a ‘Dane-gun’ from the Bode Thomas, Surulere wing of the operations and that wraps of substances suspected to be Indian hemp were also recovered from Powerline Street at Ijaiye under Ojokoro Local Government.
The Task Force boss disclosed further that before the agency embarked on the demolition exercise, all owners and occupiers of the over illegal structures were served with ‘Removal Order’ notice by the government.
Egbeyemi emphasized that, “’RADIATION’ from these high tension cables poses serious danger to human health and that no responsible and responsive government would put lives of her citizens at risks.”
According to the statement, SP Egbeyemi stated that the demolished illegal structures and containers constructed under those high tension cables were an eyesore with miscreants and hoodlums freely smoking Indian hemp around the area.
He confirmed further that 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.
He stated that members of this dreadful notorious cult group ‘Adura Boys’ robbed innocent citizens of their money including other valuable items such as phones, wallets and jewelleries.
“The Chairman advised landlords, 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.
“SP Egbeyemi however confirmed that 3 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 transfered to Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) at the Lagos State Police Command, Ikeja on the directives of the Acting CP Edgal Imohim,” Adebayo Taofiq said in the statement.
A concerned citizen, Mr. Eniola Augustin, commended the government for the demolition exercise, as 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 notorious cult group called ‘Adura Boys’ always escape into these illegal structures and containers after attacking innocent citizens with dangerous weapons,” the stated said.
A resident, Mr. Steven Odunjo, who commended the operatives of the Lagos State Task Force for a job well-done however disclosed that a little girl of eight years old was recently raped by a member of the dreadful notorious cult group who he said had been terrorising them every day and night.
As for Mrs Fatimoh Adeyemi, a trader selling pepper and onions under Powerline Street in Ijaiye, Ojokoro, she thanked the government for giving them adequate notices before the commencement of the demolition exercise.
Meanwhile, the Task Force spokesman hinted that three people had been arrested in connection with the recovered ‘Dane-gun’ in Bode Thomas, Surulere, during the exercise.
