Lagos Government Demolishes Buildings At Megamond And Oval Estates In Eti-Osa

Lagos State Government has started demolishing buildings in parts of Eti-Osa Local Government Area as part of efforts to tackle persistent flooding in the area.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, shared the update on Saturday via his X (formerly Twitter) account.

He said the demolition began on Friday after property owners in Megamond and Oral Estates ignored earlier warnings to vacate structures built along the Ikota River.

“Following the expiration of served notices, operatives from Drainage Enforcement and Compliance Department of the Lagos State Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources on Friday commenced the removal of contravening structures within Megamond Estate and Oral Estate along Ikota River alignment, Eti-osa, to prevent perennial flooding in the area,” he wrote.

Before the demolition, residents were given extended notices to remove their belongings, especially those living in buildings that violate environmental laws by encroaching on the river’s path.

During a recent inspection of the affected estates—Megamond, Oral, Westend, and parts of Lekki—Wahab explained that the government had received repeated complaints about flooding in the area.

He said officials had tried to work with property developers to find a compromise, but some continued to illegally sand-fill and expand into the river’s right of way.

“We have decided to give some more time to home owners to relocate their families and their valuables, hence the shift in the date for commencement of the restoration process,” he said.

“We will allow them move their things out; family men and women with children reside here. So whilst that is ongoing, we poked the walls as signal of our readiness to restore the Right of Way.”

Wahab said the government used digital tools to trace the original size and path of the river and found that many structures had been built far beyond what was legally allowed.

He also mentioned that in Lekki County, developers were seen reclaiming land without proper approval. According to him, most of them failed to get the necessary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and drainage clearance, both of which are essential to ensure that water flow is not disrupted and surrounding areas aren’t put at risk.

“What some developers are doing is reclamation and government needs to put them in check. If you are doing a reclamation, the first thing you have to obtain is Environmental Impacts Assessment (EIA) and Drainage Clearance documents and most of them do not have it,” he said.

The commissioner added that 18 houses in Oral Estate, 13 in Lekki County, and eight in Westend Estate are affected. Only properties directly in the way of the river will be removed, he said.

KanyiDaily recalls that the Lagos State government previously demolished buildings constructed on the System 157 drainage channel along Orchid Road in the Eti-Osa area.