The Lagos State Government has demolished at least 17 buildings for encroaching on the right-of-way of the Ikota River alignment in the Lekki area.
EpeInsights learnt that the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, led the enforcement and monitoring team to the site on Saturday, accompanied by journalists and other government officials.
The exercise comes just two weeks after the demolition of 19 buildings at the Trade Fair Complex, as part of the state’s ongoing effort to curb illegal land reclamation and protect drainage channels across Lagos.
Wahab explained that the ministry had earlier received multiple complaints about unlawful reclamation activities aimed at narrowing the river’s natural flow channel.
“We intervened and stopped them at the time, but we were recently alerted that the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell portions of the reclaimed land to unsuspecting buyers,” Wahab said.
He vowed that those behind the illegal land reclamation and sales would be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
While acknowledging that flooding cannot be entirely eradicated in a coastal city like Lagos, Wahab stressed that the government remained committed to reducing its impact through sustainable and resilient infrastructure.
“What we can do is mitigate flooding through resilient infrastructure, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration has continued to provide and maintain,” he added.
The commissioner lamented that despite the government’s ongoing efforts to maintain drainage systems, some property developers continued to block waterways for personal gain.
He cited one property—Plot 156—which he said obstructed the proposed coastal road and blocked the free flow of water into the Ikota Channel that connects to the Lagos Lagoon. Wahab confirmed that the property would be cleared to restore the natural drainage path.
During an inspection of the Lekki–Epe corridor, Wahab also decried the widespread encroachment on wetlands meant to absorb excess stormwater during heavy rainfall. Drone surveillance, he revealed, showed extensive destruction of the wetland corridor, including the removal of coconut trees planted for erosion control.
Wahab noted that the Ministry of Environment had issued enforcement notices on September 26 to the violators ahead of the new phase of the state’s transport infrastructure works in the area.
He explained that the exercise aligns with the government’s broader plan to harmonize environmental protection with major development projects particularly the Lagos Green Line Rail Project.
Also speaking during the inspection, the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, disclosed that the Green Line rail which will link Marina to Epe is scheduled to commence in December, after the conclusion of stakeholder consultations and feasibility studies.
Osiyemi added that while temporary permits had been issued to some car dealers to operate along designated powerline spaces, several had violated permit conditions by constructing permanent structures on wetlands.
“As a responsible government, we must enforce compliance and protect the environment while promoting transport development,” he said, adding that the Green Line would be completed within three years as part of an integrated, multi-modal transport system for Lagos.
Other areas visited by the enforcement team included Chevron Gate off Orchid Road, Partibon Homes, Oral Extension Phase 2, and Park View, Ikoyi.
