The Lagos State Government on Wednesday demolished shanties erected by defiant squatters along the newly commissioned Red rail line and equally impounded motorcycles of riders, to improve the aesthetic appeal of the rail area and mitigate encroachment on rail infrastructure in the state.
Penpushing reports that the taskforce of the Lagos State Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit carried out the two-day exercise which took place along Fagba corridor said to be a follow-up after the launch of the railway project of the state.
The Chairperson of Lagos State Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit Ishola Jejeloye led the operation which other covered areas Iju-Ishaga, Abattoir and Pen Cinema, resulting in the confiscation of motorcycles that operated on restricted routes.
Penpushing further reports that he explained that miscreants loitering around the abattoir supported the motorcycle operators in resisting arrest and causing mayhem to prevent the confiscation, but were subdued by the enforcement team.
‘It was a complex operation seizing these motorcycles from their recalcitrant operators due to the presence of miscreants lurking around the abattoir. They threw stones and objects at us in order to thwart our effort but they were no match for our tactical superiority’, Jejeloye said.
‘The presence of motorcycles and shanties along the rail tracks pose significant safety risks to residents, passersby and commuters who choose to patronise both the train and commercial motorcycle. Clearing them completely improves the aesthetic appeal of the rail area and would also mitigate encroachment on rail infrastructure in the state’, he added.
Penpushing also reports that Jejeloye pointed out that criminality and hooliganism, which are prevalent in these areas, are enabled mainly by motorcycle operators and squatters who turn to crime and rob residents and train commuters.
The agency spokesperson added that the enforcement exercise would go a long way in reducing crime and incidents of bag snatching often perpetrated by the riders in the axis, adding that the authorities will continue to intensify efforts towards addressing the menace
‘We will keep going till every motorcycle operator gets the message that Lagos highways and other restricted routes are no place for them. If you want to operate a motorcycle, you either abide by the rules or risk having your bikes impounded’, he stated.
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