60 abandoned FG buildings in Lagos CBD now criminal hideouts ―LASG

Lagos State government has said that over 60 abandoned buildings belonging to the Federal Government on Lagos Island Central Business District (CBD) have been converted to criminal hideouts by hoodlums.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Central Business District (CBD), Agboola Dabiri, disclosed this on Monday at a press conference he addressed in Alausa, Ikeja, saying most of the abandoned buildings had been converted to criminal hideouts where hoodlums perpetrate their nefarious activities.

He said some of the abandoned buildings were located at Tinubu Square, Marina, among others, harboured as many as 100 hoodlums.

Dabiri stated that soon, the state government would do something about the abandoned buildings in order to dislodged criminals occupying them as their abode, even as he said one of the biggest challenges on the Lagos Island CBD was that of over-population occasioned by the thriving economy of the state.

“Lagos State is the only thriving state in Nigeria; people come here to Lagos, some sell their goods around 5.00am and by 8:30am, they are gone. The crowd there is too much; we are talking about human traffic.”

“Managing human traffic is not easy. When you have large number of people coming to the CBD, it comes with waste challenges. On the Island CBD, about N3 billion exchange hands on daily basis in terms of transaction,” he said.

The special adviser said all illegal structures and shanties in and around Idumota pedestrian bridge were completely demolished, thus providing opportunity for the people to make use of it for the first time since over 15 years of abandonment.

“Until the state government, through the Central Business Districts embarked on the demolition exercise late last year, hoodlums and miscreants have turned the place to a safe haven to perpetrate evil and committing vices.”

“Pedestrians in large numbers, irrespective of state of origin have been commending the state government ever since for saving them the stress of crossing the road and freedom from the antics of undesirable elements who hibernate around the area,” he said.

Dabiri also disclosed that the agency had dismissed a number of those whose actions undermined the objectives of the agency and compromised the public image of government to deter others.

“For the records, four monitoring officers and some volunteers were recently dismissed for dereliction of duty. The present administration has equally organized series of training, meetings and seminars geared at re-orientating and awakening a renewed mindset of staff, monitoring officers as well as volunteer corps,” he said.