Lagos Assembly Orders Taskforce, Others To Stop Demolition Process

By Rasaq Adebayo

The Lagos State House of Assembly has ordered the State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit to stop demolition of houses in the Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State with immediate effect.

The decision of the House followed a ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’ raised by Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, who told his colleagues that some policemen and a team stormed the area and demolished buildings.

He said the demolition squad had claimed that only shanties would be pulled down.

He lamented that the team had gone beyond the shanties and have demolished a lot of other buildings.

He stated that the demolition has affected Omolabake, Gandonu and Coker Estate areas of the local government area and that over 300 people have lost their buildings, property and sources of livelihood.

Okanlawon said upon investigation, it was discovered that the Ministry of Environment and the Police Taskforce headed by one CSA Jejeloye were behind the action.

According to him, all efforts to speak to the Task Force and officials of the Ministry proves abortive.

He implored the House to constitute an ad hoc committee to investigate the matter.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, thereafter, directed the Clerk, Barrister Olalekan Onafeko, to write a letter to CSA Jejeloye and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment to stop the demolition immediately pending when the House would look into the matter.

The Speaker also set up a five-man ad-hoc committee including Hon. Akinsanya Nureni, Hon. Adewale Temitope, Hon. Sanni Okanlawon, Hon. Femi Saheed and Hon. Aro Moshood to investigate the matter and report to the House in two weeks.