The Lagos State Taskforce has given street traders and illegal occupants operating along the Alaba Rago section of the Mile 2-Badagry Expressway a 72-hour deadline to vacate the area ahead of an enforcement operation.
The agency said the planned exercise is part of ongoing efforts to enforce environmental regulations and the state’s ban on street trading in line with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.
According to the Taskforce, the operation will be carried out jointly with other enforcement agencies and will focus on removing illegal trading activities taking place on highways, pedestrian walkways, road medians, and setbacks within the corridor.
Officials explained that the action became necessary following repeated complaints from residents, motorists, pedestrians, and other stakeholders over environmental pollution, security concerns, and safety hazards caused by illegal activities in the area.
Speaking during an awareness campaign organised for traders and occupants, the Chairman of the Lagos State Taskforce, CSP Adetayo Akerele, described the Alaba Rago axis along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, also known as the ECOWAS Road, as a vital route that requires proper environmental management and law enforcement.
He urged traders and occupants to remove their goods and dismantle illegal structures within the 72-hour notice to avoid sanctions during the enforcement exercise.
Akerele stated that the operation would also target makeshift shops, illegal structures, mini brothels, used-plastic collection points, indiscriminate waste disposal, and other activities contributing to environmental degradation along the corridor.
He stressed that the government could no longer ignore the level of illegal activities and environmental violations in the area, adding that such conditions are inconsistent with the vision of Lagos as a modern megacity.
The Taskforce chairman noted that the government had already consulted with stakeholders and conducted sensitisation campaigns before announcing the enforcement exercise. He reminded traders that selling goods on highways, walkways, and road setbacks is prohibited under state law.
Akerele warned that anyone who fails to comply after the expiration of the notice would have their goods confiscated and could face prosecution.
The enforcement operation is being coordinated by the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources as part of efforts to improve environmental sanitation, enhance public safety, and maintain order across the state in line with the administration’s THEMES Plus Agenda.
