Lagos begins removal of shanties, illegal structures in Ajah

Lagos State government, yesterday, commenced the removal of shanties and structures littering the coastal road at Maiyegun Estate (by Jakande) in the Lekki area, even as it reiterated its commitment to urban regeneration.

Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who was at the scene of the enforcement, alongside state officials, said other sites have also been identified and would be recovered.

He said the regeneration would be done in accordance with the Lagos State development plan, citing the ongoing demolition of shanties in Ijora Underbridge, Obalende Underbridge, and Orile.

The commissioner, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services and Water Resources, Mahamood Adegbite, said it is expedient that residents respect town planning laws and abide by their provisions.

“Anyone trying to alter the original urban development plan of the state will not be allowed. People cannot be allowed to do whatever they like, whenever, or wherever they like. Lagos must not become a jungle,” he said.

He maintained that the government is resolute in its drive towards environmental regeneration, stressing that the demolition will send a strong message that all spaces will be governed.

He said before commencement of the enforcement, the state government had carried out inventory of buildings that possess legal documents. He said these were numerically identified and would not be pulled down.

According to him, the government had been sensitising squatters and occupants of shanties on vacating the area since 2022. He said some of the buildings had become dilapidated, hence the need for their demolition.

He said most of the squatters had not been captured in the database of the Lagos State Resident Registration Agency (LASRRA). He described as worrisome, a situation where a government is not able to account for residents or provide them with social amenities.

Wahab noted that shanties and illegal structures serve as hideouts for criminals. He recalled that the state government recently issued a four-day relocation notice to all squatters occupying illegal shanties around the coastal road in Mayegun, Lekki, adding that allegations by the squatters to the contrary were baseless and untrue.

Earlier, the Special Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Urban Development, Olajide Babatunde, who visited the site on Sunday, decried the level of distortion in the area. He advised the occupants to vacate them immediately, saying the government would not give any further notice.