Flood: Lagos issues 48-hr eviction notice to Gbagada-Bariga channel squatters

The Lagos State Government has issued a 48-hour eviction notice to property owners who have built illegal structures and to squatters along the Gbagada-Bariga Channel.

This was disclosed by the Lagos State Commissioner of Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, on his verified X page.

According to him, property owners who deliberately built structures that obstruct the free flow of water in the area will be removed.

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.

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“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.

“Upon expiration of the notices served, the operatives of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources will commence removal of those contravening structures in order to deflood the area.”

Recall that last week, business and commercial activities were disrupted on Wednesday following a 10-hour downpour in many parts of Lagos, which caused the collapse of a two-story building in the Mushin area, grounded vehicular movement on the roads, overwhelmed thousands of residents, and prevented pupils from attending school in parts of the state.