Nigerian govt gives occupants of Lagos bridges seven-day quit notice

The Federal Government on Wednesday ordered all traders and other illegal occupants under the bridges in Lagos to vacate the facilities by March 31 or face forceful eviction.

The Director of Highways, Bridges and Design, Mr. Oluropo Oyetade, gave the directive during an emergency meeting between Federal Ministry of Works officials and their Lagos State counterparts to review Wednesday’s fire incident at Apongbon Bridge in Lagos Island.

He said: “I was about to enter a meeting concerning the Third Mainland Bridge before I was hurriedly ordered by the Honourable Minister to come here to give his directive and mandate that he has given to me, to announce that the area (Apongbon Bridge fire) should be cordoned off, which we have done.

“And that the inspection of the defects caused by this inferno shall be taken immediately when the place cools down.

”But the most important thing that I must deliver here is that all the occupants under our bridges particularly in Lagos, we are giving them seven days to pack away.

READ ASLO: Fire guts shops under Apongbon bridge in Lagos

“Seven days counting from today. By March 31, the task force will swing into action and we will impound all recalcitrant elements that we find under the bridges.

“They shall be forcefully evicted. Not only that, they will be made to pay for any items we have to remove.

“Let me repeat and make myself clear, all occupants under our bridges, we have over 20 bridges in Lagos, should move before March 31.”

He warned that a task force would embark on enforcement of recovery of the Right of Way (RoW) on all the 20 bridges in Lagos as from March 31.

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