The Lagos State Government on Thursday began demolishing 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, saying the operation targeted “illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, defective buildings, and those erected on road setbacks and drainages.”
He added that the government could no longer allow unapproved constructions to obstruct infrastructure and pose risks to lives.
The demolition was jointly carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Physical Planning Permit Authority, with support from the Office of Infrastructure, lawmakers, and security agencies.
Bulldozers pulled down marked buildings while traders and shop owners watched, some expressing concern over the impact on their livelihoods.
The Sanwo-Olu administration has repeatedly warned against erecting buildings without approval or blocking drainage channels, stressing that such actions worsen flooding, traffic congestion, and urban disorder in Lagos.
The exercise forms part of wider enforcement efforts across the state following the expiration of a government amnesty programme that allowed owners of irregular buildings to regularise their properties.
Similar operations in areas like Oworonshoki have previously sparked criticism from residents who said they were not given sufficient notice before losing homes or businesses.
With the amnesty window closed, the Lagos State Building Control Agency has stepped up removals, particularly in areas where structures obstruct roads, drainage systems, or are considered unsafe.
