The Ikeja Local Government has demolished makeshift structures allegedly used as criminal hideouts along Alade Market and Obafemi Awolowo Way, recovering firearms and other dangerous weapons during the operation.
Items retrieved from the shanties included guns, knives, axes, charms, and other suspected crime tools. The recovered weapons were subsequently handed over to the appropriate security agencies for further investigation.
The enforcement exercise was led by the Council Chairman, Akeem Olalekan Dauda, and involved council officials alongside environmental officers. The team targeted illegal structures erected along road setbacks, following intelligence reports that the locations were being used by criminals to rob motorists and pedestrians both during the day and at night.
Speaking on the operation, Dauda said the exercise began at Alade, off Obafemi Awolowo Way, where structures built in violation of environmental and urban planning regulations were removed.
“These illegal structures not only defaced the environment but also posed serious health, security, and safety risks to residents and passersby,” he said.
He added that several businesses found breaching environmental laws — including improper waste disposal and encroachment on road setbacks — were issued warnings and compliance notices.
The council noted that the demolition aligns with the “Environment” pillar of its I.K.E.J.A Agenda, a development framework focused on environmental sustainability, urban renewal, improved public health, and stricter sanitation enforcement.
Dauda reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to ensuring a clean, secure, and orderly Ikeja, pledging to sustain and intensify monitoring and enforcement operations across the local government area.
Officials who participated in the exercise included Vice Chairman Abisola Omisore, Chief of Staff Chief Adeniyi Adeyi, and councillors representing Wards B to F in Ikeja.