The Lagos State Government (LASG) has issued a 48-hour eviction notice to squatters and owners of illegal structures along the Gbagada-Bariga drainage channel.
News About Nigeria reports that this announcement was made by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, in a post on X.com on Sunday.
Wahab explained that the drainage channel has been obstructed by squatters living there and by property owners who have built structures that block the water flow, contributing to flooding in the area.
“The drainage channel which floods Bariga, Gbagada, Sholuyi downstream communities and environs, and discharges into System 1 has been taken over by squatters who have constituted nuisance and security risks to the estate, and property owners who deliberately built to obstruct free flow of water in the area,” Wahab stated.
He further described how shanties erected along the length of the channel have blocked collectors meant to carry stormwater into the channel, resulting in the recent flooding.
Following the expiration of the notices, operatives of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources will begin removing the offending structures to alleviate flooding in the area.
News About Nigeria reported that business and commercial activities were severely disrupted on Wednesday due to a 10-hour downpour affecting many parts of Lagos and Ogun states.
The flooding caused a two-storey building to collapse in Mushin, halted vehicular movement on roads, and disrupted daily life for thousands of residents, preventing pupils from attending schools in several areas.
Key roads in Lagos, including Oworonshoki, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Ikeja, Alapere, Iyana-Oworo, Oshodi, Ile-epo, Abattoir, and Victoria Island, were underwater, causing widespread traffic congestion and paralysis in the city’s transportation network, bringing the commercial hub to a standstill.
The flooding woes were equally felt in various communities such as Epe, Eredo, Bogije, Labora, Abijon, Sangotedo, Awoyaya, and Ibeju-Lekki, where residents reported inundated neighbourhoods.
Similarly, neighbouring Ogun State suffered widespread flooding in areas like Sango, Ota, Alagbado, Atan, Oju-ore, and Lusada, leaving a trail of devastation.
