Bakare Oki Olalekan
Lagos to prosecute community leaders over illegal closure of street gates
Over the weekend, the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) issued a warning to landlords and Community Development Associations (CDAs) to promptly adhere to government directives, emphasizing the need for unrestricted access to all interlink roads on a daily basis throughout the state.
Mr. Bakare Oki Olalekan, the General Manager of LASTMA, highlighted that non-compliance with street-gate regulations posed a significant security threat to the government’s commitment to fostering a safe environment.
Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA’s Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, conveyed this message in a statement on Sunday, urging those involved to refrain from such practices.
Oki reiterated that the street-gate policy aimed to facilitate easy access for residents and all road users in the state. He emphasized that preventing motorists and pedestrians from using community gates before the designated time was deemed unacceptable by the state government.
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“Traffic officers have been facing serious challenges in diverting motorists to alternative routes through nearby streets because these streets are gated,” the statement said.
“The General Manager stressed that the illegal closure of gates, some of which are feeder roads to connect highways, also “contributes to the activities of criminally-minded individuals who indulge in dispossessing residents of their belongings, thereby making it difficult for security agencies come to the rescue of victims or apprehend the perpetrators”.
“The act of partial or permanent closure of gates in violation of the regulations of the state affects businesses encourages miscreants to take advantage of residents and get away with their belongings and in case of fire outbreak the community affected will not be easily accessible by the Rescue teams,” the statement said.
Oki stated that non-conformity with government directives on the closure of estate/street gates might lead to issuing warrants of arrest and prosecution of representatives of non-complying communities, where necessary.
He added that activities of the affected communities had further contributed to vehicular traffic in those restricted areas where roads leading to the closed gates were inaccessible to the motoring public.
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