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 actions that destroy the ecosystem, stressing that nature would always retaliate against human negligence and unlawful reclamation.
He said the ministry had received complaints months ago about illegal reclamation efforts 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 to unsuspecting buyers,” he said.
According to him, the ministry has now taken firm action to stop the encroachment and remove all illegal structures within the area.
He vowed that those behind the activity would be identified and prosecuted in accordance with the law.
On flooding, Wahab said it was impossible to completely prevent flooding in a coastal state like Lagos, 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 noted that in spite of 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, saying it blocked the coastal road alignment, thereby obstructing the natural flow of water.
He said the property would be cleared to ensure the Ikota channel discharges freely into the Lagos Lagoon.
The commissioner emphasised that demolition was not always the state’s first option, as other corrective measures were sometimes explored.
“Sometimes, we ask developers to produce practical designs for stormwater discharge, but they must bear the cost, not taxpayers,” he added.
He described it as irresponsible for the government to fix problems created by private individuals who profit from violating environmental regulations.
During an inspection tour of the Lekki-Epe corridor, Wahab 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 synchronise 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 said some car dealers given temporary approval 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 stated that the rail project, spanning from Marina to Epe, would last about three years and operate as an integrated transport solution.
Other locations visited included Chevron Gate off Orchid Road, Partibon Homes, Oral Extension Phase 2, and Park View in Ikoyi. (NAN)
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