The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, popularly known as the Taskforce, has disrupted a private anniversary celebration that had taken over a section of Lawani Street, off University Road in Yaba, confiscating canopies, chairs, tables and other items used to block the public road.
The enforcement operation, carried out on the directive of the Chairman of the agency, CSP Adetayo Akerele, prevented what officials described as a potential traffic nightmare on the busy corridor, which is currently serving as an alternative route due to ongoing road construction in the area.
In a statement released by the Taskforce spokesperson, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, on Sunday, the organisers of the event had illegally cordoned off an entire lane of the roadway for a social gathering, significantly restricting the movement of vehicles and inconveniencing motorists and other road users.
Acting on credible intelligence, enforcement officers stormed the venue and dismantled the makeshift barricades before removing canopies, chairs, tables, and other equipment deployed for the celebration. The swift intervention restored normal traffic flow and reopened the road to commuters.
Speaking after the operation, CSP Akerele condemned the increasing practice of converting public roads into private event venues, warning that the government would no longer tolerate actions that obstruct traffic and disrupt public order.
He stressed that roads are public assets built for the benefit of all residents and should not be appropriated for private celebrations.
“Public roads are constructed for the benefit of all Lagosians and must not be converted into private event spaces. Anyone found obstructing traffic or blocking public roads for social activities will face the full weight of the law. We will not tolerate actions that disrupt public order or frustrate the daily livelihood of residents,” he said.
The Taskforce Chairman urged event organisers to make use of approved event centres or obtain the necessary government approvals where applicable instead of illegally occupying public roads.
He also appealed to residents to remain vigilant and support the agency’s enforcement efforts by reporting activities capable of endangering public safety, obstructing road networks or degrading the environment through the agency’s emergency lines, 09137555111 and 09138555111, as well as its official social media platforms.
Akerele reiterated the Taskforce’s commitment to enforcing environmental and traffic regulations across the state, assuring residents that the agency would continue to remove illegal obstructions and maintain order on Lagos roads.
The latest enforcement action underscores the Lagos State Government’s renewed resolve to ensure that public infrastructure is used for its intended purpose and to prevent avoidable traffic congestion in a city where road space remains under increasing pressure.
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