The General Manager (GM) of LASTMA, Mr Bolaji Oreagba said that the clean-up exercise was conducted after the expiration of notices served on owners of the illegal shanties, kiosks, container shops, and abandoned trailers.

Oreagba disclosed that the illegal shanties around the nation’s port city does not only constitute health and safety risks but also served as a haven for criminals who used such locations as hideouts. He added that the exercise would last for seven days,

He said;  “All abandoned trailers from the port’s first gate down to the underneath of Lilypond Bridge constituting environmental nuisance were all towed by the team. The area is becoming a breeding ground for miscreants and hoodlums who on a daily basis extort money from motorists and impede the free flow of traffic.”

He told newsmen on Sunday in Lagos that one of the measures was a general redeployment of security officials that had stayed for a long time on their beats.

“What we have discovered is that there are security officials that have been working within the area we call the red zone, which is the Tin Can, Apapa area, for four, five or six years, and they are still there. We have requested that they should be posted out of that location and a new set of people that will actually and truly work for Nigeria taken there.We have had cases where we tried to establish proof of the people that were said to have been extorted because you need to have proof, but there is none.So, what we have now done is to look at how many checkpoints should be on the roads. We held a meeting with all the security agencies about three weeks ago and agreed to set up a team and identify how many checkpoints we should have along that corridor.If we identified six checkpoints, for instance, it means that when you wake the next day and you find 16 checkpoints, that means there are 10 illegal checkpoints. It was also agreed that it is only right that any of the security formations, be it LASTMA, Police, Army or NPA, that is posting security operatives to the checkpoints, should have the names of officers posted to each checkpoints. We believe that if we do that, and there is proof of extortion on a certain date, at a certain location, then we should be able to know the officers involved in it. But the interesting fact in all of this is that things have evolved now. You now have area boys they call ‘ECOMOG boys’, who do the collection for them. A few weeks ago, it was even more like a battle on who extorts at which location. They stand by the side and extort while others are by the side waiting to receive their share. Let me also state this clearly that we have had the cooperation of the Navy, Army, Police and everyone that is involved in this; they have made efforts to tackle every unwholesome tendency. Many actions were taken by the Navy and I thank them for that.I know that the Police also took action to reduce the vices, but sometimes you have errand officers that are off duty and they show up in uniforms with guns and perpetrate destructions. At the NPA, we have dealt with security men indicted over unwholesome tendencies. We are doing a lot and shall soon rid the ports of such vices,” he said.

The fire which was reportedly triggered by an electrical surge affected three offices on the 6th floor of the building but no life was lost.

General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communication of NPA, Olaseni Alakija, who confirmed the incident, said officials of the NPA Fire Service Department immediately mobilised to the scene and promptly contained the fire.

The affected floor had since been cordoned off and investigations are ongoing in line with safety protocols.

Alakija said “The fire affected one office where 2 desktops, tables, chairs and other furniture were lost. Two other adjoining offices were affected by smoke and soot. The Management of the Authority appreciates the prompt response and professionalism of the Authority’s Fire service  and security departments and wishes to assure all stakeholders and the general public that no sensitive documents were lost and normalcy has been restored and that our operations have not been disrupted in any way”

This is coming months after the building was set on fire by hoodlums during the #EndSARS protest.

The General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications of NPA, Mr Adams Jatto disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos.

According to him, in response to the recent increase in the waiting time of vessel scaling at the Lagos Port Complex Apapa, NPA met with shipping companies and terminal operators and arrived at the decisions to decongest the port.

He pointed out that the decision was aimed at immediately resolving the congestion in the Lagos Pilotage District.

“As from Jan. 27, vessels which have waited to berth at any terminal within the Lagos Pilotage District will be diverted to other terminals with capacity to berth vessels within the district.

“In the event that all terminals in Lagos cannot discharge any vessel within four days, such vessels will be diverted to the Eastern Ports (other pilotage districts) for immediate berthing.

“The Authority will liaise with other relevant government agencies on behalf of stakeholders to expedite the clearance of vessels and cargoes, where necessary.

“These actions have been taken to promote the Ease of Doing Business Policy of the Federal Government and curtail the negative economic impact that the long turnaround time of vessels has on stakeholders,” he said.

Jatto pointed out that the NPA was soliciting the cooperation of all stakeholders in this regard.