Lagos Task Force clashes with traders, squatters on Fagba rail lines

Amidst stiff resistance put up by squatters, the Lagos state task force has dispersed traders and beggars from the rail tracks in the Agege-Fagba area.

In the early hours of Saturday, teargas canisters were deployed at the location to displace persons defacing the tracks.

The makeshift buildings erected by the traders around the tracks were also burnt.

In a statement released by Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, the spokesperson of the task force, Shola Jejeloye, the chairman of the agency, said squatters at the rail tracks have constantly degraded the environment through their activities in the area.

He said the traders and beggars occupying the areas around the rail tracks had been served with eviction notices since June 20 but refused to vacate the place.

Jejeloye said the squatters put up resistance during the cleansing of the area, but the task force was able to overpower them to embark on the tasks, which he said are in different phases.

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He noted that the Lagos state government will ensure that the squatters do not return to the location.

“We served the squatters here an eviction notice on the 20th of June but it’s obvious they thought we were bluffing. They tried to put up minor resistance but they are no match for us,” the statement reads.

“We will carry out our operation with minimal force and ensure that the entire shanties are removed.

“The plan of the state government to completely reclaim the portion of roads occupied by squatters is non-negotiable. The enforcement takes place first, followed by monitoring and then sustenance. We will ensure these sites are monitored till they are fully occupied and put to good use by the state government.

“Residents were excited to see us clear out these structures due to the criminal haven it serves as. They have complained of pickpocketing, stealing and robbery usually perpetrated by the squatters but it is all a thing of the past now”.