The Lagos State Government has marked 39 buildings in the Eti-Osa Local Government Area for demolition over encroachment on the Right of Way of the Ikota River.

The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this on Thursday during a drainage enforcement inspection tour of the Ikota River.Wahab explained that the affected buildings encroached on the natural river channel and posed significant environmental risks.

He added that indefinite quit notices had been issued to occupants, urging them to vacate the premises and relocate their belongings ahead of the demolition exercise.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the buildings slated for demolition are located within Oral Extension Estate, Westend Estate, and Mega Mond Estate in the Lekki axis of Lagos.

According to Wahab, of the 39 marked structures, 18 are to be completely demolished, eight will undergo partial removal, while 13 others will be totally brought down.

“We received several complaints and have been working on this for some time. While we were engaging stakeholders to find a win-win solution that balances environmental protection with residents’ interests, some developers continued altering the river’s alignment and encroaching further on the RoW,” Wahab said.

He noted that satellite and digital assessments had confirmed the continued illegal expansion of construction activities despite government warnings.

“What we met on the ground today was worse than what we observed during previous visits,” he added.

Wahab also criticised certain developers for insincerity, pointing out that while they were in talks with the government for possible resolution, they continued to build on restricted land.

“You don’t put profit over humanity. What these developers are doing is selfish and harmful. Yet, we must balance empathy with fairness. We saw some tenants today, and it was emotional, but we cannot allow sentiment to override the need for public safety,” he said.

At Westend and Mega Mond Estates, Wahab observed reclamation works exceeding approved limits. He stressed the need for proper Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and drainage clearance before undertaking such projects.

“We’ve instructed them to halt further sand-filling and submit the required documentation. Non-compliance will attract strict enforcement,” he warned.

Giving a breakdown, Wahab said 18 buildings are located along the first stretch of the affected area, another 13 are situated after the canal, and eight at Westend Estate are also marked for demolition.

“We will return to assess progress. The quit notice has no fixed deadline. Our advice is for residents to start moving their belongings as soon as possible,” he said.