Lagos — The importance of heeding timely warnings cannot be over-emphasised. On many occasions in the past, paying attention to such warnings had saved lives and property.

However, those that ignored such warnings have paid dearly for their disobedience, either with loss of property and sometimes loss of their lives.

For illegal occupants along railway corridors in Lagos State, ignoring timely warnings given by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to vacate rail line corridors has brought tears and anguish to them. The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) penultimate Friday began demolition of all illegal structures along railway corridors in Lagos State after several notices were issued. The exercise, which commenced at Iju in New Oko-Oba area of the state, affected churches, food and local gins joints, kiosks and some ramshackle structures among others.

As a result of the demolition exercise, many people living along the rail line corridors in Lagos State have been rendered homeless while others lost their means of livelihood.

The ongoing demolition exercise includes structures with Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) and Permanent Occupation Licence (POL) within the operational area along the rail line across the country.

It would be recalled that the Minister of Transport, Alhaji Ibrahim Bio, had during his nationwide tour of railway facilities, ordered that all illegal structures along rail corridors be removed throughout the country to paved the way for the rehabilitation of the nation's railway system.

The minister, who was visibly angry by the unattractive sights caused by the dilapidated nature of the structures and the danger they portend to train operations, directed the management of the Nigerian Railway Corporation not to leave any stone unturned in the demolition exercise. The minister also appealed to all the concerned state governments to provide necessary assistance and security throughout the duration of the demolition exercise.

Shortly before the demolition exercise, Lagos Railway District Manager (RDM), John Dottie, told Daily Independent that since notices were issued to all illegal occupants in 2006 to vacate the rail lines, they stubbornly refused. He said government cannot allow illegal occupants to reside on the rail line corridors, stressing that the exercise would be thorough, extending to all the states of the federation.

"The exercise is in the best interest of the people, we cannot allow this to continue to happen and I want to assure Nigerians that the Nigerian Railway Corporations is prepared to ensure compliance with the directive of the Federal Government," he stated.

Dottie added that law enforcement agents and Man O War officials had been instructed not to molest or harass any of the illegal occupants. According to him, plans are underway to expand the railway tracks to four lines in line with the Lagos State government's arrangement to use NRC rail corridors for its light rail project.

The exercise, according to the district manager, would be carried out simultaneously in all the states which harbour railway corridors starting with Lagos.

He stated that NRC will be assisted by state governments to keep the entire track free of illegal structures all the time like the Lagos State government is doing presently.

He said the Federal Government, through paid advertisement and formal quit notices, informed the concerned owners of these structures of the intention to demolish the structures as required by the agreement signed.

Besides, Dottie further explained that for NRC to be able to accommodate the four lines in the railway corridors there was the need for all rights of way to be recovered hence the demolition exercise.

His words: "When the minister made this directive, we went further to pass the information to the occupants of the area and announced it on the radio stations; we even had meetings with all the traditional rulers in the affected areas, including Agbado, Agege, Ijora and Iju. We encouraged them to inform their people to vacate the rail line corridor.

"Everybody is happy with what is going on at Oshodi, and if we can succeed in doing that in Yaba and other places, then we can experience similar ease of traffic. We do not wish to bring any hardship to anybody but to develop the country," he stated.

He warned that the demolition exercise would be continuous, adding that NRC is working in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Environment to ensure that illegal structures do not exist on the rail lines corridors.

During the demolition exercise, some occupants, whose structures were affected, confirmed that they were duly informed about the demolition exercise but did not know it would come so soon.

One Adebimpe Okanlawon, a fruit seller along the corridors at Iju Station, said she received a notice distributed by the management of NRC asking them to remove their structures from the rail line corridors sometimes in 2006. She pointed out that despite the fact that the NRC stopped collecting rents from them since two years ago, some elders of the community were still demanding for rents from them and collected up till December last year.

"We cannot say we were not informed, because as you can see, some of us have already removed our cubicles before today. They (NRC) told us about three years ago when they stopped collecting rents from us, though some of the elders here still collected rent till December last year," she said.

However, the owner of Orelope Food Canteen, Alhaja Sidikat Orelope, whose canteen was demolished, denied ever being notified. According to her, while notices were given to others occupying the opposite side of the rail corridors, she was given false impression that her canteen would not be affected.

Orelope, who hastily removed some of her belongings with the assistance of well-wishers, wept bitterly as she watched her canteen go down under the bulldozer.

Speaking, the Baale of Iju, Chief Tunde Savage, told reporters that he was not aware of any notice given to the people, adding that he had never been invited to any meeting with the management of NRC to discuss about the demolition.

His words: "They never had any meeting with me or my people, and I am so surprised to see them now. I even sent my messenger to call their representative when I saw them destroying this place but they refused to come."

Armed policemen accompanied by men from the Man of War (Man-O-War) maintained law and order throughout the demolition exercise.