Why Lagos govt demolished 17 Ikota estate buildings

The Lagos State Government on Saturday demolished about 17 houses at an estate near Oral Estate, before the Ikota River in Lekki, for allegedly encroaching on the river’s Right of Way (RoW).

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who led a monitoring team to the site alongside journalists, said the enforcement followed repeated warnings against illegal reclamation of the river’s alignment.

Mr Wahab explained that the ministry had earlier received complaints about developers reclaiming parts of the Ikota River corridor for construction and resale to unsuspecting buyers.

“We stopped them then, but were alerted again recently that the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell to unsuspecting buyers,” he said.

He said the ministry had now taken decisive action to halt the encroachment and remove all illegal structures within the area, adding that those behind the activity would be identified and prosecuted.

Mr Wahab noted that while flooding cannot be completely eliminated in a coastal state like Lagos, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers, the government was committed to mitigating its impact through resilient infrastructure.

“What we can do is mitigate its impact through resilient infrastructure, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has continued to provide and maintain,” he said.

He cited Property No. 156 as an example, saying it obstructed the coastal road alignment and blocked the natural flow of water. The property, he said, would be cleared to allow the Ikota channel to discharge freely into the Lagos Lagoon.

Mr Wahab stressed that demolition was not always the state’s first option.

“Sometimes, we ask developers to produce practical designs for stormwater discharge, but they must bear the cost, not taxpayers,” he added, describing it as irresponsible for the government to fix problems created by private individuals who profit from violating environmental regulations.

Eyewitnesses’ accounts

When PREMIUM TIMES visited the estate on Monday, the structures in the affected area had been reduced to rubble, while workers were seen clearing debris from the site.

A security guard at the estate said some occupants had ignored earlier warnings from the government.

“There was a warning placed last year, and some residents moved out for a while,” he said. “But during the last Sallah, they started returning because they said they had reached an agreement with the government. They were supposed to construct slabs behind their houses to prevent flooding, but they didn’t do it on time. That’s why the government demolished the buildings.”

A worker also said many affected residents returned during the demolition to recover their belongings.

“Some came on Saturday to carry their air conditioners and cooking gas cylinders,” he said. “One man came on Sunday saying he was out of the country when it happened, but we didn’t see his items.”

During the visit, PREMIUM TIMES also observed that nearly all the buildings within the estate had been marked by the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources.

However, it remained unclear why other buildings on the same line as the demolished 17 units were spared, or why another estate located across the river — where the water appears even closer to the houses — was not affected by the demolition exercise, except its fence.

Some people in the estate expressed confusion over the selective nature of the enforcement, suggesting that the government’s criteria for identifying encroaching structures were not clearly communicated.

PREMIUM TIMES also obtained the contact of one of the affected residents, Mr Felix, but he did not respond to calls or messages.

Government expands crackdown

In a follow-up statement on Monday, Mr Wahab said the ministry sealed several illegal reclamation projects and issued stop-work orders on developments narrowing the Ikota River around Partibons Homes Estate and Bee-Forth Estate Phase II, off Orchid Road, Lekki.

He described the activities as “harmful to the ecosystem and a major cause of flooding,” adding that the illegal reclamation had blocked critical drainage systems, including Systems 156 and 157, which channel stormwater into the lagoon.

“The illegal activities ongoing in the area are heart-wrenching because some individuals have deliberately chosen to destroy the ecosystem provided by nature,” he said.

Mr Wahab and the Commissioner for Transportation, Seun Osiyemi, jointly inspected environmental infractions along the Lekki–Epe corridor.

Automobile dealers operating along the route, he said, had been served abatement notices for extending beyond approved temporary sites and encroaching on wetlands under high-tension power lines.

The enforcement aligns with the planned Lagos Green Line Rail Project, one of six lines under the state’s Strategic Transport Master Plan aimed at easing congestion and connecting emerging districts from Marina to the Lekki Free Trade Zone.

“Wetlands are not wastelands. They are nature’s sponge, designed to hold excess water during heavy rains,” Mr Wahab wrote on his X handle, adding that drone surveys revealed widespread destruction of wetlands and coconut plantations along the corridor.

He insisted that no private or business interests would be allowed to compromise public safety or disrupt the state’s urban development plan.

Flood mitigation and environmental strategy

According to the Ministry of Environment, Lagos State has launched a 24-month flood control and wetland restoration plan integrating estate lakes, canals, and pumps into a Blue-Green Network that stores and gradually releases rainwater.

The plan includes restoring canal rights-of-way, installing flap gates and pumps at tide-sensitive outfalls, and expanding drainage systems.

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Between 2023 and 2025, the ministry said, maintenance was carried out on 579 kilometres of secondary collectors and 309 kilometres of primary channels, while 218 new channels were awarded for construction.

Mr Wahab said the effort forms part of a broader campaign against illegal housing developments and environmental violations.

He urged property buyers to conduct due diligence and verify land titles before making purchases.

“This administration will not fold its hands while nature’s design is distorted,” he said, noting that 17 illegal structures had already been demolished along the Ikota River in Oral Estate Extension as part of the ongoing enforcement.