Shanties and illegal structures on Lekki coastal road which serves as an alternative to the Lekki-Epe route have been demolished by the Lagos government.

The demolition was carried out after a three-day removal notice had reportedly been issued to affected persons.

Chairman of the State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Task Force), Shola Jejeloye, said the task force is prepared to monitor and prevent future encroachments and illegal occupation of any part of Lekki coastal road.

He said that the exercise was carried out to give way for the construction of the coastal road, linking Lekki to the Free Trade Zone.

The road, he said, would also serve as an alternative route to Lekki–Epe expressway, to enhance the free flow of traffic on the corridor.

“We have enlightened the occupants on the strategic nature of the road where they had built their shanties. Immediately it was cleared in 2019, they mobilised themselves and extended their occupation of the road.

“They have turned it into hideouts for criminals. They sell drugs, some of which were seized during our assessment of the area, while traffic robbers and other dangerous criminals also dwell here.

“These cannot be allowed to thrive in Lekki. The essence of the demolition is to monitor the place and safeguard it so that criminals don’t return there again,” he said.

Mr Jejeloye expressed the state government’s commitment to decongesting Lekki– Epe expressway, hence the need to open up the road for residents and other law-abiding people to use.

The state government had, on July 26, announced the identification of illegal structures and abandoned vehicles on Lekki-Ajah coastal road.

It noted that the illegal structures and abandoned vehicles were serving as hideouts for robbers operating in traffic.

The government had also given owners of such illegal structures and abandoned vehicles in the area three days, starting from July 26, to remove them.