By Abiola Olawale
Wonders will never abate in the mega city of Lagos, the commercial hub of Nigeria, with a population of over 20 million, many of them lacking in housing.
Thus, so-called “smart guys” are cashing in on the situation to make money from “homeless people” desperately in need of a roof over their heads, no matter where, in the congested city centres.
That’s what the Lagos State Government has discovered on Tuesday, April 30, 2024, and revealed on Wednesday, May 1, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The government found an apartment under the Dolphin Estate Bridge, in the Ikoyi area of the state, where tenants pay N250,000 annual rent.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this via his X account on Wednesday, May 1.
Wahab, who shared videos of the incident, revealed that the under-bridge apartment has 86 partitioned rooms with 10×10 and 12×10 sizes.
The commissioner noted that the enforcement team of the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources had removed all structures, including a container utilised for various illegal activities under the bridge.
He stated: “A total number of 86 rooms, partitioned into 10×10 and 12×10, and a container used for different illegal activities, were discovered under the Dolphine Estate Bridge.
“They have all been removed by the enforcement team of Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.”
The commissioner added that 18 individuals, squatting illegally under the bridge leading from Dolphin Estate, were also arrested by the officials of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps on Tuesday, April 30.
“The illegal shanties have been dismantled this (Wednesday, May 1) morning,” Wahab disclosed.
