The Lagos State Special Taskforce Committee has commenced the removal of gates of estates and streets that have failed to comply with government regulations directing that all roads must be accessible between 5am and midnight within the metropolis and suburban areas of the state daily.

Speaking at the commencement of the enforcement exercise which kicked-off in Surulere, Ajeromi Ifelodun, Ikeja, Isolo, Ikosi-Isheri, Ojodu and Amuwo-Odofin areas of the state, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Affairs, Alhaji Tajudeen Adeniyi Quadri said that those acting contrary to the law were posing a great security threat to the government’s resolve to achieve a safe and secured Lagos.

He disclosed that the policy on street gates was meant to enable easy access for residents and all road users in the state, noting that the act of denying motorists and pedestrians access through the various community gates before the stipulated time was totally unacceptable to the State Government.

According to him, the illegal closure of gates also contributed 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. In the case of fire outbreak, the community affected would not be easily accessible by the rescue teams,” the Governor's aide explained.

Quadri said that the policy, being an executive order by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, might warrant arrest and prosecution of representatives of non-complying communities where necessary.

He added that the activities of the affected communities had further made free vehicular movement difficult in those restricted areas where roads leading to the closed gates were inaccessible to commuters.