Lagos State task force arrests 86 persons for having no address, work | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Thursday 29 March 2012

Lagos State task force arrests 86 persons for having no address, work

According to Punch, the Lagos State Task Force on Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit yesterday Wednesday March 28th arrested 86 suspected illegal squatters, food vendors and miscreants around the Ikoyi area of Lagos for not having definite residential address and means of livelihood.

The raid took place between 11pm last night and 1am this morning. The arrest was in response to complaints by residents of the area about the presence of illegal squatters in uncompleted buildings and makeshift shops. After conducting some investigation, the police classified the squatters as security risk and rounded them up last night. Those arrested were found in abandoned houses and shops at Lugard Street, Bedwell Street, Glover Street and three different spots in Parkview Estate. Police said some of them were suspected to be part of criminal gangs terrorizing Ikoyi residents.

Lagos state police say the raid will continue as the government will no longer tolerate people living in uncompleted building.

53 comments:

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why the government continue to forgo simple solutions, so as to make life more difficult for the poor. In developed countries, they have shelters and welfare packages, that is what they should be doing instead of arresting these people. Now what will they do with them?

Anonymous said...

I am, the no Sender.

Isn't it so convenient to call them criminal elements and not bother with how to provide them with housing abi. Can it be possible to identify their States of origin?

In anycase some of them look like Boko Haram potentials.

Anonymous said...

Poverty na bad thing o! God forbid!

mariamah said...

Na wa ooooo i think that Lagos state really wants to send some people back to their villages

Anonymous said...

believe me some of them are criminals,nice job anyway.

Anonymous said...

Kudo to Oga Fashola, Eko o ni baje.

Tola said...

This is one of the best news I have heard in recent times. Lots of able bodied young men harrassing car owners in traffic to clean their wind screens on Akin Adesola, VI down to King's way in Ikoyi was becoming scary. Way to go Lagos state Govt.

Atobatele said...

Poverty is a bad thing and i really feel for them. These same people voted them into power and were not arrested then. This is not the best solution to the problem at hand, Govt should make life bearable in the rural area and this will discourage the able bodied men moving into the city. No one would ever love sleeping in an uncompleted building and am sure these people don't pray for this when they were born. Is there any provision for a better livelihood? Because you don't have a roof over your head doesn't make you to be a criminal. The truth is that these people need help.

CUBARYASHI said...

There identity too should also be known, i mean there names, families, state and local govt of origin to knw if they are really Nigerians.We need to start asking people of there real identity so as to know when foreigner(BOKO HARAM SOMALIANS) invade us.

waxy said...

Why would anyone in their right mind arrest someone 'cause they haven't got address and work? Has the task force provides them with job that they refused to go? Have they being provides social housing that they refused to sleep inside? If you have not provides any of the two and you are arresting people, then, whoever either the governor or his adviser deserved to be arrested.

Ezems said...

That's good shaa. With the way boko haram might be targeting Lagos, it's good these vagrants are kept somewhere, not necessarily in a prison, though.

Anonymous said...

this is just pure stupidity and God help all of you giving kudos to fashola cos you always had it goo

Keke said...

I DONT SUPPORT THIS WHERE ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO LIVE?? WHY NOT BUILD LOW COST HOUSING FOR THEM, AS IS DONE IN THE WEST...NIJA IS VERY TOUGH AND PPL ARE SUFFERING IN GRINDING POVERTY

Anonymous said...

I Laff in isoko

Anonymous said...

So many pple live under briges in Lagos with no job ... If they find them they should not use d world arrest for them ... Did u provide job or house n they said no ... Better still educate them this r d minds that boko haram use to carry out there plot

jenny said...

sebi na when person no get house them go stay for uncompleted building. the government dont know how much the landlords take for rent alone not to talk of agent fees and deposits. mcheewww!!

Anonymous said...

the government should be friends to the people not enemies,these same pple voted them in.y not find them shelter and work.they are poor and need help.u cant try this abroad,u would be condemned,this is horrible.

ignorance and illiteracy -hitting our leaders badly.

Anonymous said...

Mr waxy or miss if ure a lady hw cn u say did dy provide dem wit job???did govt give u ur own job???y aren't u livin in an uncompleted buildin or roamin d streets of lagos..I actually dnt knw wat u do...Kudos to fashola pls send dem bak to their villages

Anonymous said...

@ waxy, take it easy with the grammatical blunder, I don't have a bullet proof to shield me from the missile. I think government should give them accommodation & jobs. Arresting them is not the best thing to do.

joan said...

D way u use present and past tense funny shaa. Nawa

Anonymous said...

MUMU Gov. pple should stop giving excuses and provide shelter/jobs for them...mscheww

Abi-Gun said...

i must say the government and the leaders of Nigeria are not very intelligent.

Firstly a press conference on the issue should have used words like Identify and Qualification process not arrest.

Provision should be made for at least a canopy and chairs for this people to sit rather than park them on the flow like they all did something wrong (even at that we are human and we deserve to be treated with dignity)

A catering service should be provided as well and proper interviewers should be provided to find out the true situation of this people and why the streets have been chosen as home

This will give the government a better look and believe me fashola wont spend 100,000 naira to do this simple thing for 89 Nigerians

Finally what's is the relocation plan for this people, bcos they cannot be arrested forever. they will slip back into society and end up in the streets causing the government more in the long run.

anyways as i have said b4 and will say again the directors in the ministry of communication should all be fired. Cus they are the major reason nigeria has a bad image internationally.

Anonymous said...

Hmmmmm

Y.Tee said...

Foolish govt. Provide housing and accommodating for these people and the problem solves itself. Now, what happens when you release them, wont they simply go back???? They just want ppl to pay bail!

NKECHI said...

Yeah right! I agree 1000% that they pose societal risk. They have been arrested now what next?

Anonymous said...

I beg Governor Fashola, Pls send your men to manuwa Street, Off Keffi, Off Awolowo Road in Ikoyi. The area boys and miscreants there na die. Pls save us residents of that road. God Bless

Gaia said...

Its sad sha, what else can they do? We don't have any homeless shelters or alternatives for them. Now they get arrested while some shameless people steal millions and not only do they walk free, they are celebrated!!!

Anonymous said...

See u. Go and live like that in Europe, Lets know if u won't be deported. They might be illegal immigrants. Have u thought abt d chances?

Anonymous said...

An opportunity for the so called police officers that carried out the raid to extort these guys.

Because from the write up, they are already saying theses guys are part of gang of robbers terrorizing Ikoyi residents.

Anonymous said...

Its a good development. Sometimes, some of these people give info to gangs about the movement of people whose houses are close to their uncompleted abodes. The next target should be Lekki Phase 1. There are too many Abokis living in the uncompleted buildings.

Its scary. Sometimes when you see them converging, it feels as if an entire village from up north has migrated to the area.

mama somtee said...

who is the moron saying Lagos state should not arrest people without addresses , maybe if you have ever had a robbery experience on falomo bridge or your car stopped all of a sudden on third mainland bridge then you would appreciate what government has done , They should go back to their states of origin.

mama somtee said...

who is the moron saying Lagos state should not arrest people without addresses , maybe if you have ever had a robbery experience on falomo bridge or your car stopped all of a sudden on third mainland bridge then you would appreciate what government has done , They should go back to their states of origin.

Anonymous said...

Lagos state government should be ashamed. Is the solution to poverty punishment?? Should the state not focus on building affordable and social housing projects and creating training and job opportunities for these people? It is not by their choice that they are of no address and without work! It is the fault of the so-called government. This is a disgrace. Someone ought to bring a class action again our so-called government for NEGLIGENCE.

Anonymous said...

I think d underlying reason 4 d roundup has something to do with d boko haram threat.I'm sure dey are really targeting lagos, just think abt dis...some mosques were demolished just some days ago bcos of boko haram and now this. Fashola knows something we don't know! May God deliver us o.

Anonymous said...

But why are you guys saying "govt should provide for them", really?

Anonymous said...

I support the idea of getting fact from them by identify their name, local govt, town and state. Let Lagos State Government give them some money to start their life and they should go back to their village no be force person dey take dey stay in Lagos. I have heard of some people who go back to their village when Lagos is not easy for them and they are living and doing fine in their village now. Oga Fashola help them out and let them go back to their village if they cann't avoid rent. Farming works left undone in the village which can boost the economy of the nation, you are just blaming government for not provide for them, if they dont provide for them let them provide for themselves, some laziness dey worry them, they think Lagos is like before, "Eko Igbeyin la wa yi" they should go back to their village and find something do. "Owo to dile ni esu n ya lowe". Eko o ni baje, o baje tiiii.

Anonymous said...

err even in the uk here there are homeless people, this is just wrong, yout hink anybody will wanna live in an uncompleted building or loiter the streets if they had better alternatives? easy for you people to sit in front of your computers with internet access in a comfortable house and type biased comments. oh well

Anonymous said...

U dare not compare 9ja wit Europe,9ja shudnt arrest pple lik in Europe til dey get 2 d@ standard*nonesense*

Anonymous said...

U are askin miss waxy how she got her own job?I cnt believe sm pple can be talkin d way u do all bcos u wia opportuned or shud I say fortunate enof 2 b wia u are 2day*u make me sick*

Anonymous said...

All you bleeding hearts...one question. Is it by force to live in Lagos??? The only condition (in my opinion) under which the Lagos state govt is obliged to provide them housing is if they are indigenes. Find their state of origin and return them home. If every poor person left their village to go to Lagos, the place would literarily sink under their weight!.
Grease to your elbows Fashola. Send them packing.

Anonymous said...

What the heck! Is that a solution!
who ever is advising the government on this matters must either be very stupid or high on cheap drugs!!!
Obviously if they had a place to stay, they won't be squatting in uncompleted buildings!
Dear government(or whatever they call the rogues in power), if you didn't wack the money meant to develop the masses, they won't be termed as miscreants or classed as security risks!
May God have mercy on you all.

Anonymous said...

I've always said that politicians in this Nigeria are dubious. Why weren't they arrested before election. You can be bold to say that 86 individuals don't have addresses and jobs so you got them arrested. What has happened to "We will provide light, water, good roads, AFFORDABLE HOUSES, JOB OPPORTUNITIES. Just vote for ACN....." They actually voted for ACN and now they are miscreants. 2015 is around the corner plan to vote wisely.
Maxwell.

The sage said...

Its making my brain fight itself. Can't understand why ppl don't read their comments after typing them. It seems tho, that this one has a foundational grammatical flaw. I recommend brighter grammer.

Anonymous said...

Loooool!

Anonymous said...

It's easy for someone not staying in Naija to blame the Lagos state govt cos they dont know the reality of things on ground. How many people would the LASG provide houses for when people leave their states from as far as Borno state to come and become liability to lagos. Why didnt their own state govts provide conducive environment for them wherever they are coming from? Lots of people leave their states and countries(esp Niger, Mali etc) and head for lagos without any inkling of what they would do when they get there only to now become a nuisance when they get to lagos. And lagos state should now build houses and provide jobs for all of them? I dont even like most of Fashola's actions since this his 2nd term but for this one o,he has done well.

VickyHills said...

Don't narrow your thought. This is the same way these people started creeping into Jos. You'll so pity them, thinking its poverty. But they're the ones that shook Jos to pulp. They are very dubious and heartless. Don't mind the body(outlook)but mind the engine(capability). Trust me, Fashola knows.

VickyHills said...

Some of you are so myopic in your thoughts here. Imagine you going to Kano, sokoto etc to start staying in uncompleted buildings! With all the Unrests in the country, yet you are not security concious. Its because you only hear these uproars, never experienced it. Fashola is safe-guarding you and ingrates like you are condeming him. Give them your fathers house to leave in. Idiots! I wish boko haram will follow you personally so you'll know how to appreciate good things. Infact, Fashola should lock them up indefinitely. Lagos is a target. God bless Nigeria with great leaders like Fashola who has the interest of his people at heart.

Anonymous said...

Arrest? wat d hell for?..povery?...since wn did poverty bcom a crime? Fnd a means of livelyhood for dm if dey refuse it dn u cn arrest dm. D govt hs no ryt to arrest dm on d ground of suspicion....dey cud be innocent, hs any1 tot abt d possibility of dt?

Anonymous said...

Arrest? wat d hell for?..povery?...since wn did poverty bcom a crime? Fnd a means of livelyhood for dm if dey refuse it dn u cn arrest dm. D govt hs no ryt to arrest dm on d ground of suspicion....dey cud be innocent, hs any1 tot abt d possibility of dt?

Anonymous said...

Ur stupid o, n a lot of u here were happy wen linda condemned gbenga on her blog, but most of u r worse dan gbenga. Y so tribalistic, so if 'abokis' should not converge only becos they are from the north, are they not nigerians like u and me?. Are they animals or do u hav any evidence that says they are d ppl providing info to armed robbers? Tribalistic goat oshi. Ewu

Anonymous said...

If indeed they are criminals, are they only found in VI & Ikoyi axis? Wat abt d waywards in oda part of d state? Just lyk somebody asked, wat are they going to do wt dm?..I rest my case.

Anonymous said...

Abeg make una come mainland. I dont know why they are cleaning up the island and leaving the mainland. Biko nu come to the mainland they are everywhere. Some of them are not even Nigerians

Anonymous said...

Why are people so silly! All you guys saying provide shelter, what exactly have you done as an individual to help your neighbour. Why should fashola provide accommodation and jobs for a hausa/Igbo man or even anyone who is not from Lagos (by the way I'm from Anambra b4 some rats start crying).

Honestly speaking you guys are so quick to open your filthy mouths and blab. Anyone who has no address is either not from Nigeria of is a criminal and does not want to be traced. Use your brains jeez

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