The Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), popularly known as Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI), has demolished shanties and evicted illegal occupants along the Ajao Estate section of the Mass Burial Canal in Lagos.
The enforcement operation followed intelligence reports and petitions from community leaders alleging environmental violations and the erection of makeshift structures along the canal banks. Officials said the illegal settlements posed environmental and public health risks, particularly by obstructing drainage channels.
Head of the Public Affairs and Advocacy Unit, Mr Ajayi Lukman, explained that authorities had issued multiple warnings prior to the demolition exercise.
“We carried out the exercise following petitions written by community leaders about makeshift structures built in the area. We have warned those found there several times but they continued their activities,” he said.
After clearing the site, enforcement officers set the dismantled structures ablaze and announced plans to closely monitor the area to prevent reoccupation. The agency warned that violators would face prosecution under Lagos environmental laws.
Speaking separately, the Corps Marshal of LAGESC, Major Olaniyi Olatunbosun Cole (rtd), emphasised the need for sustained environmental enforcement to make Lagos safer and more conducive for business and residential living.
He made the remarks during a one-day management retreat for senior officers and operatives themed “Leading the Change, Building Collaborations Towards Environmental Safety and Awareness.” The retreat featured strategy sessions and group presentations aimed at improving teamwork and operational efficiency.
Dr Adeyeye Mayowa, Head of the Environmental Services Unit, delivered a presentation on strengthening inter-agency collaboration and intelligence gathering to enhance service delivery and enforcement outcomes.
Cole urged officers to maintain professionalism, discipline, and healthy work practices in the discharge of their duties, stressing that effective monitoring and enforcement are critical to environmental sustainability in Lagos.
The demolition underscores the state government’s renewed push to enforce environmental regulations, clear illegal structures from drainage channels, and prevent flooding and sanitation challenges across vulnerable communities.
