Lagos Govt Demolishes 17 Buildings Encroaching on Ikota River Right-of-Way in Lekki

The Lagos State Government has demolished at least 17 buildings encroaching on the right-of-way (RoW) of the Ikota River alignment in Lekki.

The demolition, carried out on Saturday, was led by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who conducted an on-site inspection alongside a monitoring and enforcement team, accompanied by journalists.

This development comes less than two weeks after the state government pulled down 19 illegal structures within the Trade Fair Complex.

Wahab explained that the ministry had received multiple complaints about illegal land reclamation in the Ikota River corridor, which had significantly narrowed 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,” he said.

The commissioner vowed that those behind the illegal reclamation and fraudulent land sales would be identified and prosecuted in line with the law.

He noted that while flooding could not be entirely eliminated in a coastal city like Lagos, the government remained committed to mitigating 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,” Wahab stated.

He lamented that despite ongoing drainage maintenance efforts, some individuals continued to obstruct waterways for selfish economic gains.

Citing an example, Wahab said Property No. 156 had blocked the coastal road alignment and restricted water flow into the Ikota channel, which connects to the Lagos Lagoon. He confirmed that the structure would be cleared to restore the natural drainage system.

During an inspection of the Lekki–Epe corridor, the commissioner also decried widespread encroachment on designated wetlands designed to absorb excess stormwater during heavy rainfall.

He revealed that drone surveillance by the ministry showed massive destruction of the wetland corridor, including areas where coconut trees planted for erosion control had been uprooted.

Wahab noted that enforcement notices were served on violators on September 26, ahead of the commencement of new transport infrastructure projects in the area, particularly the Green Line Rail project.

Speaking during the same visit, the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, confirmed that the Lagos Green Line Rail project, linking Marina to Epe, would commence in December following final stakeholder consultations and feasibility reviews.

Osiyemi said while temporary permits had been granted to some car dealers to operate along powerline spaces, several had violated the approval terms by erecting 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 monitoring team included Chevron Gate off Orchid Road, Partibon Homes, Oral Extension Phase 2, and Park View in Ikoyi.