Lagos Government Demolishes 17 Houses for Aggressively Encroaching on Ikota River Right-of-Way

In a determined move to mitigate the perennial flooding crisis in the state, the Lagos State Government has carried out the demolition of at least 17 houses for flagrantly encroaching on the Right-of-Way (RoW) of the Ikota River alignment in the Lekki area.

The demolition exercise, led by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, on Saturday, was described as a decisive action to halt aggressive and illegal land reclamation that has been dangerously narrowing the natural course of the river.

Mr. Wahab explained that the Ministry had issued warnings months prior regarding illegal reclamation activities aimed at shrinking the river’s channel. “We stopped them then, but we were alerted again recently that the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell the land to unsuspecting buyers,” he stated. He stressed that the government will not allow human negligence and unlawful reclamation to persist, warning that nature will inevitably retaliate with disastrous consequences like widespread flooding.

The Commissioner cited one specific property, No. 156, for blocking the coastal road alignment and seriously obstructing the natural flow of water, emphasizing that it would be cleared to ensure the Ikota channel discharges freely into the Lagos Lagoon. He further vowed that those responsible for the unlawful activity would be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

The enforcement tour also covered the Lekki–Epe corridor, where Mr. Wahab decried the massive encroachment on wetlands meant to retain stormwater, adding that notices have also been issued to these violators. This enforcement action is also aligned with the planned commencement of the Ministry of Transport’s Green Line Rail project, which will run from Marina to Epe. The government remains firm on enforcing compliance to protect the environment and critical public infrastructure.