Just like other highbrow areas in Lagos State, their area was originally designed to be an exclusive neighbourhood meant only for Residential , devoid of the rowdiness and overpopulation which characterises slum areas.
However, the once serene and exclusive neighbourhood of Alade and Allen Avenue is fast turning into a slum, where all sorts of vices are carried out both day and night.
As a result, the residents are now perpetually living in fear for their security. Daily they are confronted with strange faces, miscreants, hemp smokers, hard drugs peddlers who do drugs openly, hideout for criminals who do crime in the open, bureau-de- change operators, who have turned the demolished Alade market to their permanent base of operation.
Streets such as Adegbeyemi, Afolabi Aina & Olorunnishola that leads to the estate have been taken over by shanties, street traders, bureau-de-change operators, and others, thereby disfiguring the beautiful and serene environment the residential area was known for.
To draw the attention of the governor to their predicament, the residents have written a petition to The Ikeja Local Government Chairman, Ministry of Environment, Environmental Taskforce and the Commissioner of Police appealing to them to rescue them from the slum their area is fast turning into.
They advocated for permanent removal of street traders, shanties, hard drug dealers in all the adjoining streets starting from the back of the demolished Alade market to all nooks and cranny of the area, an area close to the “seat of power”.
In the petition titled “Adegbeyemi, Afolabi Aina and Olorunnishola Street, Allen Avenue, Ikeja Violation of Residential Character, Conversion To Street Trading, Nuisance, Environmental Pollution, Criminal Activities, Threat To Life and Property”,’ the residents stated it’s high time the state government takes action at restoring the lost glory of the area.
“Alade Estate residents and stakeholders wish to alert his Excellency and all the relevant environmental agencies, Ikeja local government and Commissioner of Police to the menace being caused at Alade, Allen Avenue, Ikeja. It is depressing to see Alade, Allen Avenue area turned into an eyesore, the once beautiful, quiet and peaceful area have been turned to another version of ‘SABO’ with an in-flock of illegal street traders who have set up shops, shanties on drainage points and setbacks both for trading in the daytime, and sleeping purposes at night which has led to violation of residential character of the estate and it’s environs, thereby causing nuisance, environmental pollution, criminal activities, threat to life and property. Not only that, the okada riders have suddenly appeared from nowhere and hijacked a whole section of the road that leads into the estate. Illegal and indiscriminate dumping of refuse and defecation in open places has become the order of the day in every nook and cranny of the area, while some have even set up tents and make their homes by the roadside in Alade,” the petition stated.
The residents further complained of potholes damaging their vehicles and how fast their property value is depreciating by the day. Some landlords have moved out, vehicles are vandalised almost on a daily basis with the disappearance of car brainboxes,
Though In 2016, when traders in Alade Market were relocated to the newly built alternative market, it was done with the aim of redeveloping the original market place into a world-class shopping center. The residents lament three years after, that the environment has been turned into an area where ‘street trading, illegal shanties and structures are now the order of the day.
” We believe this menace is an infringement on us as a people living in Alade estate and it has devalued our properties in total. It is no more the clean and peaceful environment it used to be,” they complained.
The residents called on the governor, and chairman of Ikeja local government, Ministry of Environment, The Police and TASKFORCE, to take urgent action at remedying the situation.
“We hereby, appeal to your Excellency, governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the chairman, Ikeja local government, The Police with all the relevant environmental agencies such as the Ministry of Environment and TASKFORCE to come to our aid to put into action specific steps to restore sanity to Alade by urgently addressing and permanently put measures in place to prevent this unpleasant menace from occurring again.
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