By Gbenga Abulude (Politics and General Desk)
As a result of the huge damages caused by hoodlums on both public and private properties in Lagos, the state government has said it would need more than N1 trillion to put the facilities back into shape.
This estimate, according to the state government, was arrived after the initial assessment of the destroyed properties, following Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu’s state-wide tour, Friday.
The state Commissioner for Information, Mr Gbenga Omotosho, giving a detailed account of the cost of the damaged said 27 of the destroyed BRT vehicles cost $200,000 each, while 57 of them cost $100,000 each, making a combined sum of about N3.9 billion.
The list of public and private properties that were destroyed in Lagos include: Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government secretariat; Palace of the Oba of Lagos; Lagos High Court, Igbosere; Oyingbo BRT terminus; Ojodu Berger BRT terminus; Vehicle Inspection Office, Ojodu Berger; Lagos State Public Works Corporation, Ojodu Berger; Lagos City Hall and Circle Mall, Lekki; numerous luxury shops in Surulere, The Nation Newspaper, TVC and ShopRite Lekki.
According to the Lagos Police Public Relation Officer (PPRO), Mr Muyiwa Adejobi, 25 police stations were set ablaze in Lagos. They include Orile, Amukoko, Layeni, Ilasamaja, Ikotun, Ajah, Igando, Elemoro, Makinde, Onipanu, Ebute Ero, Pen-Cinema, Isokoko, Alade, Cele, Igbo Elerin, Shibiri, Gbagada, Onilekere, Makoko, Daleko, Asahun, Makinyo, Amuwo-Odofin, Anti-Kidnapping, Surulere. Other police stations that were vandalised but not burnt were Ojo, Ojodu, Mowo, PPL and Morogbo.
Sanwo-Olu who warned against further unleashing of violence by persons in the guise of making a protests in the state, said “enough is enough as perpetrators would be brought to book”.
He ordered a sustained clean-up of the state.
“We have also commenced the clean-up of the city because the city needs to be cleaned up. A whole lot of roadblocks, tyres burnt on the road and other debris. LAWMA (Lagos Waste Management Authority) are out already. They will be working all through the night,” Sanwo-Olu added,
Following the alleged shooting and killing of #EndSARS protesters at Lekki Tollgate on Tuesday night, there were increased violence and destruction of both public and private properties by hoodlums in Lagos State and few other states causing a national upheaval in the country.
The #EndSARS protesters had continued the protests against police brutality and extra-judicial killings of Nigerians in different states. The protests turned violent as suspected thugs hijacked the demonstration to unleash violence in different cities as some policemen and Nigerians including some protesters lost their lives in the process.
Some state governments in a bid to stem the tide of violence imposed curfews on their states.
