The Ogun State Government has launched a large-scale demolition of shanties and makeshift structures at the Sango Tollgate border with Lagos State, in a bid to reduce persistent road crashes along the busy Abeokuta-Lagos Expressway.
The crackdown follows a recent ban on street trading and the display of goods around the tollgate, an area long associated with traffic congestion and accidents.
Leading the exercise, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Kafayat Lawal, said the action was necessary to safeguard lives amid rising reports of fatal crashes linked to roadside trading.
She disclosed that affected traders were given multiple evacuation notices ahead of the demolition.
According to Lawal, the government has also provided an alternative trading location at Plaza Road in Sango to cushion the impact on displaced traders.
She stressed that the move is aimed at clearing the tollgate and underbridge of illegal trading activities, which have contributed to avoidable deaths and serious injuries.
“The government cannot continue to allow street trading in such a high-risk area where lives are lost and people suffer permanent disabilities,” she said.
Lawal urged traders to relocate immediately, warning that enforcement would be strict, with penalties for anyone who defies the directive.
