The Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Council Development Area (IBLCDA) has demolished illegal shanties along the Offin/Oreta Road corridor, arrested three suspects and reopened blocked drainage channels in a renewed effort to tackle environmental degradation and reduce flooding risks within the council area.
The enforcement exercise, carried out on Friday, followed the directive of the Executive Chairman of the council, Omo’ba Hammed Olalekan Aroyewun, after reports that the makeshift structures had become centres for indiscriminate waste disposal and activities obstructing drainage channels.
Officials of the council’s Environment and Waste Management Department led the operation, with security provided by operatives of the Local Joint Task Force. The exercise was monitored by the Chief of Staff, Hon. Wasiu Olowu, and the Councillor representing Ward C3, Hon. Saidat Adeoba Odeyemi.
Speaking after the operation, the Head of the Environment and Waste Management Department, Mr. Adekunle Sunday, said the council acted following repeated complaints from residents over the activities around the illegal structures.
According to him, occupants of the shanties had consistently dumped refuse and other waste materials into nearby drainage channels, causing severe blockages that prevented the free flow of water and increased the risk of flooding in surrounding communities.
He added that the environmental abuse also posed significant public health concerns, making urgent intervention necessary.
The Supervisor for Environment and Waste Management, Hon. Dauda Oshinlaja, described the exercise as long overdue, noting that continuous dumping of refuse and debris had rendered sections of the drainage network ineffective.
Oshinlaja assured residents that the council would maintain surveillance in the area to prevent the return of illegal structures and sustain the gains of the operation. He also urged residents and business operators to embrace proper waste disposal practices and support the council’s environmental sanitation efforts.
During the exercise, three individuals identified as those responsible for erecting the illegal shanties were arrested and handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation.
The council also sealed some shops found to be operating under unsanitary conditions, while several business owners received warnings for environmental infractions. Operators were directed to comply fully with environmental regulations or face stiffer sanctions.
Residents and commuters who witnessed the demolition commended the council’s intervention, describing it as a timely measure that would restore cleanliness, improve drainage and enhance the environment along the Offin/Oreta Road corridor.
Reaffirming his administration’s commitment to the Environmental Sustainability and Optimal Wellness pillars of the GLORY Agenda, Chairman Aroyewun said the council would continue to clamp down on illegal structures, indiscriminate waste disposal and other environmental violations that threaten public health and community safety.
He stressed that the administration remained committed to building a cleaner, safer and more orderly Igbogbo/Baiyeku, adding that the reopened drainage channels would improve water flow, minimise flooding and enhance the well-being of residents in Offin, Oreta and adjoining communities.
The chairman also reiterated the council’s zero-tolerance policy against illegal structures and environmental abuse, warning that offenders would continue to face the full weight of the law.
