Some commercial drivers at the Ikeja under bridge garage of Lagos State have lamented what they described as the sudden exit given by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps for them to exit the area
It was gathered that the incident occurred at about 3:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Reporters who visited the area, observed some government agents and armed men pursuing the drivers out of the garage.
It was also observed that the traders selling their goods by the park had moved.
Speaking on the matter, some of the drivers claimed that officials of the NSCDC and the Lagos State Task force had chased them from the park.
A driver, simply identified as Emeka, said the new development would make it challenging for commuters to use the road.
“They just came today to chase us away from the place. Although we were still here in the afternoon, suddenly we saw them chasing us away from the park. Some of our drivers have moved forward to get their customers, while others tried their luck to stay in front before getting caught. They even seized some of the vehicles
Also, another commercial driver, who gave his name as Oladayo, claimed that prior to the scenario, the agency did not provide any notice.
He said, “The same thing happened in Berger, and now it is Ikeja’s turn. I do not know where they want us to park our cars to carry passengers. Everywhere around this Lagos is illegal. The best thing they would have done was to give us a short notice that they wanted to vacate us from the garage, and then we would have been prepared.”
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Taskforce, Raheem Gbadeyanka, stated that the park was illegal and that commercial vehicles had harmed the once-beautiful area.
He said, “It was not the taskforce men who chased them out of the place. However, the park is an eyesore and illegal. Some months ago, if you can recall, the place they claimed to be a garage was a place filled with flowers, and it was a beautiful sight. They came, removed the flowers, called it theirs, and started to park their vehicles and shuttle buses.
Also, when contacted, the NSCDC spokesperson, Abolurin Oluwaseun, said it was a joint effort between the agency and the Lagos State Ministry of Transportation to reduce traffic congestion and guarantee unhindered vehicle flow.
He said, “We have officers legally attached to the Ministry of Transportation to ensure that the day to day transport movement is easy for commuters. They were positioned strategically. It was a joint action between the Ministry of Environment and the agency. They are also stationed to ensure the safety of commuters.”