Some artisans operating at Mile 2 Mechanics’ workshops in Lagos have bemoaned the demolition of their workshops by the operatives of Lagos State Task Force in the early hours of Monday.
The artisans affected spoke to Correspondents who visited the scene on Tuesday.
The victims were sighted picking from the rubbles some of their property that were badly damaged.
The Chairman of Ifesowapo Mechanics’ Workshops Mile 2, Mr Opeyemi Abdullahi, said that he felt so bad when he got to the office and found everywhere demolished on Monday.
Abdullahi said that their workshops were registered with the Ministry of Transportation and approved with a sign post of government.
“We have been operating since year 2000 and ever since, we have been paying our taxes to the Lagos State Government as well as paying our working permit regularly to Amuwo Odofin Local Government (LGA).
“Lagos officials came to our office on Feb. 25 (Tuesday), they pasted a notice at the entrance of our workshops that we should remove all the cars blocking the entrance, which we did,’’ Abdullahi said.
Another Mechanic at Mile 2, Mr Hakeem Babalola, also alleged that the Lagos State Task Force took away some of their customers’ cars with valuable documents.
He pleaded with the Lagos State Government to provide an alternative space for them to continue their lawful business to avoid temptation.
A spare parts seller, Mr Kelvin Eli, said he had three shops and all were demolished.
Eli described as `unfair’ the way the task force handled the demolition, saying that they caught them unaware and demolished the place without allowing the ultimatum given to lapse.
A trader, Mrs Rachael Adebisi, who sells soft drinks, said the Task Force destroyed her refrigerators and destroyed some of her drinks too.
“I am finished, how will l raise money to pay all the debts I owed,” she lamented.
A phone and accessories dealer, Mr Kazeem Iyanda, said he lost phones valued more than N900, 000, saying that he did not receive information before the demolition.
Tunde Ogunleye, who sells sachet water blamed the activities of miscreants within the market as the cause of the sudden demolition of the place.
Mr Taofik Adebayo, Head, Public Affairs Unit, Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit (Task Force), who responded to the issues raised, said the place was demolished after the expiration of a seven-day notice served on the occupants.
Adebayo said that the mechanics’ workshops were sharing fence with three secondary schools and the school authorities notified the government of the menace of miscreants who operated in the area.
He said the activities of the `bad eggs’ made the environment non-conducive for learning.
“Many of the residents have also pleaded with the government to demolish the workshops to enable them move freely at day and night,” Adebayo said.
The mechanic workshop was adjoining three schools namely; Imoye High School, Odofin Senior Secondary School and Amuwo Odofin Secondary School, Mile 2, Lagos (a.k.a. Jollof Rice).
