Dozens of Buildings Marked for Demolition in Lagos Estates Over Encroachment — Commissioner Wahab
— Peoples Talk
The Lagos State Government has marked at least 39 buildings in two upscale estates in Eti-Osa Local Government Area for demolition due to encroachment on the Right of Way (RoW) of the Ikota River. The affected buildings are located in Oral Extension Estate, Westend Estate, and Megamound Estate within the Lekki axis.
Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who led the enforcement team to the area, disclosed that the state government issued indefinite quit notices to affected occupants, urging them to vacate their properties to enable demolition activities to commence.
According to Wahab, 20 buildings are set for total demolition, eight for partial demolition, and 13 buildings—specifically in Westend Estate—are also slated to go down.
The enforcement team, during a preliminary operation, began dismantling perimeter fences of some marked properties. Wahab explained that the move followed a series of petitions and investigations confirming that property owners had encroached on the river’s alignment despite ongoing engagements with the government.
“We had several complaints. While trying to reach a win-win solution, we discovered further encroachments into the RoW of Ikota River,” he said.
The Commissioner criticized some estate developers for misleading unsuspecting buyers by pushing development boundaries further into the river corridor, thereby exacerbating environmental risks.
“It’s not palatable. Some have continued building while engaging the government. We brought in machines and asked for fences to be pushed back to prevent further encroachment,” he stated.
Wahab emphasized that any form of land reclamation must be preceded by drainage clearance and environmental impact assessment documents to ensure sustainable development.
“They must stop the work, provide documentation, and prove compliance. If not, we’ll be forced to take tougher action,” he warned.
He noted that while many of the developers have admitted wrongdoing, the government remains committed to enforcing environmental laws without unnecessarily disrupting innocent lives.
“They’ve sold titles to innocent people who have children in school. We want enforcement without harming those unaware of the illegality,” Wahab concluded.
The Lagos State Government is expected to continue consultations with stakeholders while maintaining its stance on restoring the natural drainage path and preventing further environmental degradation.
