By Ken Afor
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has refuted claims that he ordered the eviction of Nigerians from Lagos to Osun State.
During a meeting with the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, Sanwo-Olu stated categorically that he did not authorize any such action.
This was disclosed in a statement released on Monday by the spokesperson to Osun State Governor, Mr. Olawale Rasheed.
Sanwo-Olu assured that he would promptly initiate an inquiry into the alleged deportation of individuals of Osun State origin who were residing in Lagos. They were reportedly expelled and transported to the Ilesa area of Osun State.
The statement reads: “The Sahara Reporters had on Saturday published a story about several luxury buses dropping hundreds of youth at Ilesa after allegedly rounding them up in several parts of Lagos State.
“The report was confirmed by an investigation team set up to confirm the veracity of the story by the Osun State Government.
“The state team reported that eye witness accounts confirmed the dropping of the youths in several luxurious buses by a team suspected to be from Lagos State.
“The state’s report showed that the youths were systematically dropped at Ilesa-Akure Express junction, Breweries; Ilesa – Ibodi – Iginla to Ife Express junction; Osun Ankara Express junction; Imelu Express junction; and Iperindo Express junction.
“In his interaction with the Lagos State Governor on the incident, Governor Adeleke expressed shock at the development, urging Governor Sanwoolu to look into the matter and put an end to it if the report is true.
“I spoke with my brother, Governor Sanwo-Olu on the matter. He too was surprised and he denied ever authorizing any such action.
“GovernorSanwo-Olu has promised immediate investigation to unravel the facts of the situation. The Lagos team will update us as quickly as possible.
“I am subsequently directing our security agencies in Osun to mount surveillance in and around Ilesa to track the deported youths and their destinations.
“I will update our people on this development. I urge residents to be calm while the security agencies carry out surveillance.”
It would be recalled that last Saturday, a report by Sahara Reporters stated that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), in collaboration with the Lagos State Task Force, forcibly removed numerous residents and youths from the streets of Lagos State on Friday.
The report claimed that individuals from various areas, including Ajah, Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), and the Island, were rounded up and confined in an unfinished structure at the Makoko police station before being relocated to a forest near Ilesha town in Osun State.
This was as the Lagos State government on Thursday launched a manhunt against landlords operating illegal under-bridge apartments, where tenants were found living and raising children.
This action followed the discovery of such apartments beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge in the Ikoyi area. These apartments, partitioned into 86 rooms ranging from 10×10 to 12×10 in size, were being rented out to tenants for an annual fee of N250,000 each.
