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 planning regulations and restore order.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s aide on New Media, Jubril Gawat, confirmed the development in a post on X, noting that the exercise was aimed at pulling down buildings without approvals, defective constructions, and structures erected on setbacks and drainage channels.
He stressed that the government could not continue to allow indiscriminate developments that obstruct key infrastructure and threaten public safety. “The Lagos State Government has begun removal of illegal developments, defective structures, and buildings constructed on road setbacks and drainages in the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo Local Government Area,” Gawat said.
The operation was carried out by officials from the Ministry of Physical Planning, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Urban Renewal Agency, and the Physical Planning Permit Authority. Security agencies and members of the State House of Assembly were also on ground to provide support.
Bulldozers were deployed to pull down marked structures as traders and shop owners watched with concern about the impact on their livelihoods.
The Sanwo-Olu administration has repeatedly warned against unapproved construction and the obstruction of drainage systems, arguing that such practices worsen flooding, traffic congestion, and general disorder in Lagos.
Thursday’s exercise is the latest in a series of enforcement drives across the state. Previous demolitions have, however, sparked criticism from affected residents, some of whom alleged that they were not given adequate notice to relocate.
Earlier this year, the government offered an amnesty programme that allowed property owners with irregular documents to regularise their buildings without penalties. That grace period, which was extended several times, has since expired, prompting LASBCA to intensify the removal of unsafe and illegal structures, particularly those blocking roads and drainage channels.
