The Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development, sealed off two major relaxation centres, Timeless Beach and Iceland Beach, over contravention offences on Monday.
The state’s commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development, Hon. Dayo Bush Alebiosu, who disclosed this to journalists in Lagos, added that 180 other buildings in the Okun-Ajah, Eti-Osa axis of the state were also sealed off due to developers’ failure to comply with summons over encroachment on state-owned land.
According to him, several notices and summons had previously been issued to the defaulters, but were ignored, prompting the state government to initiate strict enforcement measures.
Alebiosu expressed his disappointment with the encroachers, stating that they had deliberately disregarded multiple warnings from the state government.
“This disregard for laid-down rules and property ownership cannot be tolerated. The state government has tried to engage the affected parties, but their refusal to comply has left us with no choice,” the commissioner stated.
Alebiosu said more than 40 offenders who had earlier been served contravention notices for encroachment had been accommodated by the state government and issued their E-Survey documents after fulfilling all requirements stipulated by law, noting that some others have chosen to call the bluff of the system while erecting their structures illegally.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting state-owned land and ensuring sustainable development along the state’s waterfronts.
“Over 20 suspected defaulters were arrested in the course of the enforcement, and they will be made to face the full wrath of the law,” Alebiosu concluded.
