The Lagos State Government and Agege Local Government have warned beggars and traders on the rail tracks along Agege corridor to vacate the area.

The warning came as the council held an enlarged stakeholders meeting on Sunday with some community members, ahead of planned demolition of illegal structures.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pension, Afolabi Ayantayo, in his remarks at the meeting, said that information had been received on various criminal activities being carried out along the rail corridor.

He said that shanties were harbouring criminals who were attacking passers-by and residents at night.

He said, “Government has invested a lot of money on the rail project and we don’t want anybody to sabotage and deface the infrastructure. That is why we are educating and warning the people involved to vacate the area before enforcement begins.’’

The commissioner appealed to the community and market leaders to enlighten the residents and traders to shun trading on the railway lines to avoid being arrested.

According to him, the joint enforcement will soon begin and anybody arrested will face the wrath of the law.

The Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, said he had been at the rail corridor to sensitise residents to proper sanitation and need to avoid the rail track for trading.

Mr Obasa, who was represented by a member of Lagos State House of Assembly representing Agege II, Jubril Adulkareem, said the government would come with full force to demolish shanties after the stakeholders meeting.

He said, “We need to understand the reason the government is doing this enforcement, it is for our safety and for our benefit. The railway is for the benefit of the people, not for trading, and the bridges are not meant for begging and for commercial purposes.”

The Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government, Ganiyu Egunjobi, earlier in his speech, said that enforcing and holding people accountable for their actions would now be the priority of the government on the railway line.

“Our main focus is to provide a healthy environment for everyone, to protect the infrastructure and resources and to provide security and dignity of the residents,” he said.

The council chairman said that the local government was committed to partnering with the state to bring out the aesthetic value of the environment by greening the railway corridors.

The Mogaji Gai of Agege, Aliyu Zango, in his remarks, thanked the state and local government for the warning.

He said that his members would be duly informed about the government plan.

Mr Zango said that his community members had been warned about making illegal shelters and trading on the rail line.

“We have warned our people to vacate the shanties so as to avoid being arrested by the police. We will also inform those who are involved in trading on the rail line to desist for safety purposes,” Mr Zango said.

(NAN)