Enforcement follows expired quit notices; officials cite flood risks and vow prosecutions for illegal sales on drainage alignments
The Lagos State Government has begun demolishing buildings marked for removal in Ikota Estate, Eti-Osa, after quit notices expired, saying the properties violated drainage setback rules and worsened flooding in the area.
Leading a monitoring and enforcement team on Sunday, Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, decried what he called widespread encroachment on waterways and warned residents and developers against actions that compromise flood control infrastructure. “Nature will always take its course,” Wahab said, adding that structures obstructing channels would continue to be cleared.
He also dismissed a viral video alleging ministry officials demanded payments to halt demolitions in nearby Oral Estate, Ikota. “We earlier stopped them, then we were alerted the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell land to unsuspecting buyers,” he said. The government, he added, has now moved to “clear all illegal structures along the drainage alignment,” and those behind the purported sales “would be identified and prosecuted.”
Wahab noted Lagos’ coastal geography—flanked by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons and rivers—means flooding cannot be eliminated, but said the state is investing in “resilient infrastructure” to reduce impacts. “What we can do is reduce its effects… which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has consistently provided and maintained,” he said.
Commissioner for Transportation Oluwaseun Osiyemi said the state’s Green Line Rail—planned from Marina to Epe—remains on course to commence in December, following stakeholder consultations and feasibility studies. He disclosed that some car dealers granted temporary approvals to use power-line setbacks had violated terms by erecting permanent structures on wetlands. He directed relevant agencies to evict occupants along the corridor. “As a state, we must enforce compliance and protect the environment while advancing our transport development agenda,” Osiyemi said.
The current operation in Ikota is part of a broader push to keep drainage channels free, particularly ahead of peak rainfall. Authorities reiterated that:
- Properties built within statutory drainage setbacks will be removed.
- Any officials or private actors found soliciting bribes or selling right-of-way land will face prosecution.
- Residents should verify titles and planning approvals, and avoid purchasing plots on drainage alignments, wetlands or power-line setbacks.
Affected homeowners have been advised to engage the Ministry of Physical Planning and the Environment Ministry for guidance on compliance and to retrieve belongings were safe and applicable.
