The Lagos State Government has issued a demolition notice to owners of 39 buildings in various estates in the Lekki area for encroaching on the Ikota River setback, as part of efforts to restore the natural drainage path and tackle persistent flooding in the area.

The affected buildings are spread across Oral Estate (18 units), Lekki County (13 units), and Westend Estate (8 units).

The demolition notice follows the expiration of all previously served contravention notices.

Speaking with journalists after an inspection tour on Thursday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said the state government has decided to extend the evacuation deadline, allowing residents more time to relocate their families and valuables before enforcement begins.

“We have said to our officials, let us allow them to move their things out; family men and women with children reside here. So whilst that is ongoing, we poked the walls as a signal of our readiness to restore the right of way,” Wahab said.

He warned, however, that the government will not tolerate further defiance, especially as some developers continue to illegally reclaim land and push back the river despite ongoing consultations.

“At Lekki County here, what some developers are doing is reclamation and the government needs to put them in check; if you are doing a reclamation, the first thing you have to obtain is an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Drainage Clearance documents and most of them do not have it,” he added.

Wahab stressed that the government had a digital map of the Ikota River and had recorded significant encroachment.

He ordered a halt to all ongoing reclamation activities in Lekki County, declaring them illegal and damaging to the environment.

The Commissioner noted that while some homeowners are cooperating and have admitted to the irregularities, the state is taking a measured approach to avoid undue hardship.

“What we also seek to do is engage homeowners properly because developers are selling and giving titles to innocent buyers of value. That’s why I say let those people who are innocent, who have their children in schools, not get their lives disrupted because you want to enforce,” he stated.

“Homeowners affected are not disputing the fact that something is wrong; they have all admitted it, but they are appealing to the government to give them time to find a way to reset themselves.”