TASK FORCE: RID YOUR PROPERTY OF SQUATTERS, ILLEGAL STRUCTURES

Nigeria, Sept., 16, 2016 -The Lagos State Task Force on Clean- Up of Ikoyi, Victoria Island today warned property owners in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and Lekki whose frontages have been overtaken by illegal structures to immediately repossess such frontages or face prosecution.

Speaking after a meeting of the Clean-Up Committee, its Chairman and Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Tunji Bello said the Committee will not hesitate to invoke the provision of the State Parks and Garden law of 2011 as it affects landscaping and beautification of such properties.

Bello said all property owners who fail to landscape and beautify their property as specified under the Parks and Garden law of 2011law are liable to prosecution that may attract a jail term of 6 months imprisonment or a fine of N250,000.

He added that the same fate awaits owners of structures harbouring squatters or those who have converted their structures to hotels and are providing shelter to street traders who also commit crimes under the cover of darkness.

The SSG said the State Government has already identified such structures and would, after officially communicating with the owners to dislodge the illegal occupants, take necessary measures which may include revocation of the Certificate of Occupancy of such property.

Bello said the Task Force is already deploying its team to the affected areas preparatory to the commencement of the Clean- Up exercise, adding that the team would also secure all the cleared open spaces to prevent a return of the miscreants.

“We do not want to catch anybody unawares. That is why we have been embarking on several awareness campaigns to sensitise the property owners and squatters in the affected areas to please comply with the law as no defaulter would be spared when the Clean-Up exercise commences in earnest”, he said.

Mr. Bello said all major streets in Victoria Island including Ahmadu Bello Way, Adetokunboh Ademola Street, Sanusi Fafunwa Street, Tiamiyu Savage Street, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Adeola Odeku and Akin Adesola Street amongst others will be visited by the Clean-Up task force.

The task force team will also clean up Awolowo Road, Keffi Street, Falomo Roundabout, Norman Williams, Raymond Njoku Road, Alexander Avenue, Lugard Avenue, Club Road, First and Second Avenues, Federal Secretariat Road, Bank Road, Osborne Road, Glover Road, Onikoyi Crescent, Cameron Road, Bourdillon Road and Oyinkan Abayomi Drive amongst other areas in Ikoyi, he added.
The exercise is also scheduled to rid the Lekki axis of all illegal structures and shanties situated in the locality.