The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said on Monday there would be no going back on the eviction of traders under the Apogbon Bridge in Lagos Island.
Fire had last Wednesday razed several shops under the Apongbon section of the Eko Bridge in Lagos State.
Sanwo-Olu, who addressed traders during an inspection of the bridge, said it would be reckless on the part of the government to allow the traders to continue doing business under the structure.
The traders had earlier carried placards near the bridge and appealed to the government to withdraw the eviction notice.
The traders, who came together under the auspices of the Apongbon/Ebute-Ero Marketers’ Association, said they had occupied the place for 50 years.
However, the governor insisted that the government would not withdraw the seven days ultimatum given to the traders to vacate the bridge.
He said: “The level of destruction is extremely unfortunate. This is a clear testimony of how public assets should not be turned to. We are going to start excessive clearing of the place.
“To go back to how it is being done is to mean that we are just being reckless, it will make us completely irresponsible because we cannot assure the safety of the bridge.
”We cannot just allow all of that to happen. They are completely illegal. And there are things that we should not have around us and in a big city like this, it is not acceptable.”
