The Lagos State Police Command has refuted claims of an ongoing protest on the Lekki-Epe Expressway following the demolition of shanties in the Jakande area of Ajah, Eti-Osa Local Government Area. The purported protest arose from the Lagos State Government’s initiative to clear shanties and illegal structures around the Jakande estate and Mayegun axis.
Dr. Olajide Babatunde, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Electronic Geographic Information Systems and Urban Development, affirmed that removal notices had been issued multiple times to occupants of the shanties. Despite these notices, some occupants remained non-compliant, prompting the commencement of the removal exercise.
Babatunde expressed concern over the encroachment of shanties and illegal structures, citing their interference with the boundaries of Jakande estate, adjoining roads, and crucial infrastructure projects like the Lagos to Calabar coastal highway.
Despite reports of unrest, Benjamin Hundeyin, the spokesperson for the state’s police command, clarified that there was no ongoing protest in the area. He attributed the disturbance to potential hired individuals seeking to disrupt government actions.
Hundeyin assured the public that normalcy had been restored in the affected area, emphasizing the police’s commitment to maintaining law and order. He reiterated that the absence of a protest did not hinder the government’s efforts to carry out necessary actions.