AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Lagos State Government on Thursday commenced the demolition of illegal and unsafe structures at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo as part of efforts to enforce physical planning laws and restore order.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Jubril Gawat, confirmed the exercise in a post on X, noting that the operation targeted “illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, defective buildings, and constructions erected on road setbacks and drainages.”
According to him, the government could no longer allow unapproved developments to obstruct infrastructure or endanger lives.
The exercise was jointly carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, with security agencies providing support.
Bulldozers were deployed to pull down marked structures as concerned traders and shop owners looked on. The government stressed that unapproved buildings contribute to flooding, traffic congestion, and urban disorder in the state.
The demolition comes after the expiration of a government-backed amnesty programme that gave property owners a chance to regularise unapproved structures without penalty.
With the window now closed, LASBCA has intensified enforcement across the city, particularly in areas where illegal buildings block drainage channels, road setbacks, or pose safety risks.
While officials insist the move is necessary to safeguard infrastructure and protect lives, past enforcement drives have drawn criticism from affected residents, who often complain of inadequate notice and heavy economic losses.
