At least 17 houses have been demolished by the Lagos State Government after the buildings were discovered to be encroaching on the right-of-way (RoW) of the Ikota River alignment, Lekki axis of the state.
Also, the state government stopped land reclamation exercise in Partibon Homes, and others over alleged unauthorized operations.
Aside from that, the government has ordered auto dealers encroaching on wetland setbacks to remove all structures on the RoW to prevent flooding and other natural disasters.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who led a monitoring and enforcement team, accompanied by journalists, to the site on Saturday, cautioned residents against actions that threaten the environment, warning that nature inevitably retaliates against human negligence and unlawful reclamation of wetlands.
He disclosed that the ministry had received reports months earlier about illegal reclamation activities aimed at narrowing the river’s natural path.
“We stopped them then, but we were alerted again recently that the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell land to unsuspecting buyers,” Wahab said.
The commissioner said the government had now taken decisive action to halt the encroachment and clear all illegal structures along the alignment.
He added that those behind the unlawful activity would be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
Speaking on the perennial challenge of flooding, Wahab noted that while it is impossible to completely prevent flooding in a coastal state like Lagos, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers, the government continues to invest in infrastructure to mitigate its impact.
“What we can do is reduce its effects through resilient infrastructure, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has consistently provided and maintained,” he said.
Despite ongoing efforts to desilt and maintain drainage systems daily, Wahab lamented that some individuals persist in obstructing waterways for personal gain.
He cited property number 156 as an example, saying it blocked the coastal road alignment and disrupted the natural flow of water.
“That property will be cleared to allow the Ikota channel to discharge freely into the Lagos Lagoon,” he added.
Wahab stressed that demolition was not always the state’s first option, as the government often explored corrective measures.
“Sometimes we ask developers to produce practical designs for stormwater discharge, but they must bear the cost, not taxpayers,” he said, describing it as irresponsible for the government to fix problems created by private developers who profit from violating environmental regulations.
During an inspection tour of the Lekki–Epe corridor, Wahab also decried the massive encroachment on wetlands originally designed to retain excess rainwater.
He said drone surveillance had exposed extensive damage to the wetland corridor, including the destruction of coconut trees planted for soil stability.
According to him, violators were issued demolition notices on 26 September, ahead of planned transport infrastructure works on the same route.
He explained that the inspection was intended to align environmental preservation with the Ministry of Transport’s Green Line Rail project.
Additionally, the Commissioner for Transport, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, stated that the Green Line Rail project, which will run from Marina to Epe, is anticipated to commence in December following stakeholder consultations and feasibility studies.
Osiyemi said some car dealers who were granted temporary approval to use power line spaces had violated terms by constructing permanent structures on wetlands.
“As a state, we must enforce compliance and protect the environment while advancing our transport development agenda,” Osiyemi said.
He added that the Green Line project, which is expected to last approximately three years, forms part of Lagos State’s integrated transport solution aimed at easing mobility across the metropolis.
