No fewer than 17 houses have been demolished by the Lagos State Government for encroaching on the Right of Way (RoW) of the Ikota River alignment.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, led a monitoring team alongside journalists to the site on Saturday.
Wahab urged residents to desist from acts that harm the environment, stressing that nature often retaliates against human negligence and unlawful reclamation.
He said the ministry had received complaints months earlier about illegal reclamation works aimed at narrowing the river’s RoW.
“We stopped them then, but we were alerted again recently that the encroachment had resumed aggressively, with attempts to sell land to unsuspecting buyers,” he said.
According to him, the ministry has now taken decisive action to halt the encroachment and remove all illegal structures in the area.
He vowed that those behind the illegal activity would be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
On flooding, Wahab noted that it was impossible to completely prevent flooding in a coastal state like Lagos, which is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers.
“What we can do is mitigate its impact through resilient infrastructure, which Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has continued to provide and maintain,” he said.
He lamented that despite the government’s daily maintenance of drainage systems, some individuals continued to obstruct waterways for personal gain.
Wahab cited Property No. 156 as an example, noting that it blocked the coastal road alignment and obstructed the natural flow of water.
He said the structure would be cleared to allow the Ikota channel to discharge freely into the Lagos Lagoon.
The commissioner stressed that demolition was not always the government’s first option, adding that the ministry often gave developers the chance to produce practical designs for stormwater discharge — at their own expense.
“It is irresponsible for government to fix problems created by private individuals who profit from violating environmental laws,” Wahab added.
During an inspection tour of the Lekki-Epe corridor, Wahab also decried the massive encroachment on wetlands meant to retain excess water during rainfall.
He said drone surveillance revealed extensive damage to the wetland corridor, where coconut trees initially planted had been destroyed.
According to him, notices were issued to violators on September 26, ahead of upcoming transport infrastructure works on the same route.
He added that the inspection aimed to synchronize environmental preservation with the Ministry of Transport’s Green Line Rail project.
Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, said the Green Line project would commence in December, following stakeholder consultations and feasibility studies.
He disclosed that some car dealers who were temporarily allowed to use power line spaces had violated terms by erecting permanent structures on wetlands.
“As a state, we must enforce compliance and protect the environment while accommodating transport development,” Osiyemi said.
He explained that the rail project, which will span from Marina to Epe, is expected to last about three years and operate as an integrated transport solution.
Other locations visited by the inspection team included Chevron Gate off Orchid Road, Partibon Homes, Oral Extension Phase 2, and Park View in Ikoyi.
