He said the state government would enact far reaching legislation to mete out severe punishment to the perpetrators.
The governor spoke after inspecting some erosion and mining sites with members of the state Executive Council in Badagry.
Fashola decried the level of degradation and devastation on the coast line in the area.
He said, “In some of the places that we have inspected, these people have dug almost four to five metres to the atlantic. This is disaster waiting to happen.
“We have leaders, representatives and traditional rulers here, so it is a call for community action because the people who are dealing in this illegal and very dangerous business are not alien. They are members of the community here from Ajido to Badagry.”
Fashola urged the leaders to rise up to the challenge, saying the law enforcement agencies would act with the community to stem the tide of illegal sand mining.
He explained that the ministries of the Environment, Water fall, Energy and Water Resources and the state Water Way would collaborate to deal with the problem.
The governor said, “We will enact a very drastic and far reaching legislation and inflict very serious punishment for those who want to persist in this extremely dangerous business.”
He also pointed out that abandoned ships on the coastline, which he said were more than 15, were damaging the coastal area.
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