By Olasunkanmi Akoni

IT was an exercise reminiscent of the demolition of the  chaotic Oshodi Market-cum- bus-stop in January 2009 by men of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement Unit). It was a massive  operation which sent all undesirable elements within Oshodi and environs packing and ensured the return of sanity in the area.

Mangled heap of demolished structures at Obalende

Other areas were soon to come under this demolition wind of change as part of the state’s government effort at ensuring sustainable environment  in the state. They included Ajelogo in Ketu area as well as Agege Abattoire in Agege Local Government Area.

Last week Tuesday it was the turn of the commercial and traffic-busy Obalende in Eti-Osa Local Government Area as the same special taskforce stormed the area and dislodged over a thousand illegal occupants, including traders, commercial drivers and touts.

The enforcement exercise which commenced at about 3am also led to the recovery of a stolen Honda Concerto car with registration number: Ondo AE943 LEL, which was said to have been abandoned under the bridge for over a month.

The displaced people, particularly the commercial drivers were immediately relocated to a fully completed motor park built by the state government called Obalende Bus Terminal located opposite the bridge, while traders have been moved to the Obalende Market.

Chairman of the Task Force, Superintendent of Police, Mr. Bayo Sulaimon who led the enforcement team to the area said that the dislodged people were given enough notice of several months before the demolition of illegal structures and evacuation of the occupants proper.

Sulaimon described the exercise as another breakthrough for the present administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola who gave the directive for the exercise after personally visiting the illegal occupants at the site in March.

Gov. Fashola was said to have personally appealled to the affected people for their cooperation so as to avoid any possible loss of lives and properties during the enforcement.

Sulaimon said: “Obalende is more or less like Oshodi. Today, Oshodi has changed and that is what the government is doing in Obalende now. It must be cleaned and beautified.

“His Excellency visited the place in March and dialogued with the members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers on the plan to relocate them so that government could beautify the place.

“However, in spite of the visit of the Governor and various notices given to the transport workers, they refused to relocate. That is why we have come to enforce it”.

When asked if there were suspects arrested during the exercise, Sulaimon said some people were arrested for putting up some resistance but were later released after they showed remorse.

On the recovered car, the owner, Mr. Sola Babatunde who works with Intercontinental Bank Plc described the development as a miracle, adding that the vehicle was snatched from him by a three-man gang along Murtala Mohammed Airport Road at gun-point a month ago.

Obalende after the demolition

He said: “I was just passing this morning and saw my car abandoned beside the road, under the bridge. I could not believe my eyes. If this area has not been cleared, I wouldn’t have found this car. I have since notified the leader of the task force team about the car”.

Babatunde told Vanguard Metro that he had earlier reported the case to Shogunle Police Station when the vehicle was stolen on November 11, 2010 but all efforts by the police to recover it  proved abortive.

“For four years, I have avoided passing through Obalende because it is too rough; but as fate will have it, I passed through the area today and found my stolen car,” he said.

A resident in the area, Mr. Olarenwaju Abiodun, while lauding the   flushing out of  hoodlums in Obalende, urged government to turn the place into a recreational centre as it used to be in the early ’80s.

He noted that most residents heaved a sigh of relief following the sacking of the hoodlums who usually maim, harass and rob innocent citizens in the  area.