Operatives of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Taskforce) over the weekend demolished over 1,700 illegal shanties and containerised shops around Fagba railway lines, Agege.

This is contained in a press statement signed by the agency’s head, Public Affairs Unit, Adebayo Taofiq, and made available to journalists in Lagos State.

Chairman of the agency, Olayinka Egbeyemi said that owners and occupants of the shanties and container-shops were served a seven-day removal order by the government based on series of complaints about criminal activities in the area.

He said that after the expiration of the removal order, the government gave them 21 days grace to remove their belongings and vacate the area.

“These illegal shanties and containerised shops are occupied by miscreants and hoodlums who terrorised innocent citizens around Fagba, Iju-Ishaga and Pen-Cinema area, dispossessing them of their valuables.

“Investigations conducted also revealed that these miscreants and hoodlums were responsible for the destruction of public properties and looting of shops after the recent ‘EndSARS’ protest around Agege.

“It is an eyesore with miscreants and hoodlums freely smoking and selling Indian hemp including prostitution by under-age boys and girls around Fagba railway lines,” Egbeyemi said.

The chairman confirmed that suspected illegal substances and dangerous drugs such as Indian hemp, codeine, skunk and tramadol were recovered during the demolition exercise.