Netizens have reacted after the Lagos State Government (LASG) revealed that 86 apartments were found beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge in Ikoyi, where tenants allegedly paid an annual rent of N250,000 each.
News About Nigeria reports that the disclosure was made by the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.
Through videos posted on his X account on Wednesday, Wahab showcased the partitioned rooms, measuring “10×10 and 12×10”.
According to Wahab, the enforcement team of Lagos State’s Ministry of Environment and Water Resources successfully removed all structures, including a container used for various illegal activities, from beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge.
In his social media post, the commissioner stated, “18 individuals squatting illegally under the bridge leading from Dolphin Estate were arrested yesterday 30th of April, 2024 by the officials from the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps.”
He further detailed, “A total number of 86 rooms, partitioned into 10×10 and 12×10, and a container used for different illegal activities were discovered under the Dolphin Estate Bridge. They have all been removed by the enforcement team of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.”
Confirming the eviction, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu, noted that 23 individuals were arrested during the operation carried out by officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, also known as KAI.
Rotimi-Akodu said there is a need to address the potential hazards posed by the illegal settlement beneath the bridge, stating, “These people created their illegal settlement under the bridge, thereby exposing the critical infrastructure to impending destruction.”
On social media, netizens expressed dismay over the lawlessness and dishonesty evident in Nigeria.
Many questioned why anyone would pay such a amount of money to reside in substandard conditions, speculating that criminal activities might be motivating factors.
See some reactions;
https://twitter.com/ObiFran83678258/status/1785812827153760292
https://twitter.com/PO_GrassRootM/status/1785771824602599583
