Govt orders suspension of constructions
Traders at the popular Trade Fair Complex were thrown into mourning yesterday as the Lagos State government began demolishing their buildings over lack of proper documentation.
The Guardian learnt that more than 19 buildings, each reportedly valued at over N150 million, were affected by the exercise. The buildings were located at the New Mandela Plaza within the Trade Fair Complex.
The state government said the operation aimed to remove illegal and unsafe structures from the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo as part of efforts to restore order and enforce physical planning laws.
The state government also ordered that all ongoing construction works within the complex be halted until proper approval is granted, warning that failure to comply would result in the demolition of the affected structures.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Olumide Oluyinka, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on E-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr Abiodun Babatunde Olajide, gave the directive during the enforcement exercise.
Speaking after a meeting with the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board, Oluyinka stressed that all buildings within the complex must present evidence of valid permits, warning that failure to do so would lead to their demolition.
He insisted that physical development within the complex must comply with state laws and added that the government would not tolerate chaotic or unregulated construction.
The demolition was carried out under heavy security, with a convoy of trucks from the Lagos State Task Force, Rapid Response Squad, and tactical teams stationed around the plaza. Stern-looking officers restricted access to the premises and turned away traders who attempted to record the exercise.
By mid-day, several buildings inside the plaza had already been reduced to rubble, sparking outrage among shop owners who claimed they had not been served prior notice.
One trader said: “We don’t even know the reason for the demolition. That’s why you see people moving up and down, asking questions.” Another speculated that the affected structures might have been marked for being too close to a canal.
A plaza owner, who arrived while his shop was being pulled down, screamed from his car that no notice had been served before the bulldozers moved in. Some sales representatives lamented that their bosses’ goods, still locked inside the shops, were destroyed along with the buildings.
“If the government doesn’t want companies or development here, they should just come out and say it. People have invested their life savings here. Over 19 buildings are in that plaza,” one trader said angrily.
The operation was jointly carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority. Also present were officials from the Office of Infrastructure, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and security agencies providing backup.
When contacted to clarify the Task Force’s role, its Chairman said the operation did not originate from his office. He explained: “Sometimes, security agencies in the state seek the backup of the Task Force to secure the environment. That does not mean they initiated the process. However, if such reports come to my table, I will let you know.”
Adu Ademuyiwa, the Director of Public Affairs for LASBCA, told The Guardian by phone that they had just returned from the demolition site. He claimed that the owners of the structures lacked proper documentation.
According to him, “They all claim they have federal documents and don’t want to work with the state government.”Asked if the traders were given adequate notice before the demolition, he said he could not answer that at the moment but promised to do so once he returned to his office. However, he did not respond by press time.
The Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Jubril Gawat, who confirmed the exercise in a post on X, said the operation targeted “illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, defective structures, and buildings erected on road setbacks and drainages.”
According to him, the government could no longer fold its arms while unapproved developments blocked critical infrastructure and endangered lives.
“The Lagos State government has begun removing illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals and defective structures, and structures built on road setbacks and drainages in the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo Local Council,” Gawat said.
The Executive Director of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex (LITFC), Erelu Veronica Safiya Ndanusa, could not be reached for comments at press time, but an official of the complex’s management lamented the demolition, stating that they were holding a meeting on the issue.
The Sanwo-Olu administration has consistently warned residents against erecting buildings without proper approvals or blocking drainage channels, stressing that such violations contribute to flooding, traffic congestion, and urban disorder in Lagos.
The removal of these structures is part of the state’s ongoing efforts to protect infrastructure and public safety, as Lagos remains highly congested and illegal developments blocking drainage and roads continue to worsen flooding, traffic gridlock, and urban disorganisation.
However, past exercises have triggered backlash from displaced residents, who claimed they lost their homes and were not given sufficient notice. In Oworonshoki, for instance, many said they were not given adequate time to relocate or safeguard their belongings.
