In a bold move to restore urban order and curb mounting security threats, the Lagos State Government has begun an aggressive demolition campaign targeting illegal structures in the highbrow Ikeja Government Reserved Area (GRA).
The operation, spearheaded on Saturday by the Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Arc. Gbolahan Oki, saw bulldozers roll into key streets—Michael Otedola, Sowemimo, Remi Fani-Kayode, and Ajisafe—where shanties, unapproved buildings, and unauthorised modifications were swiftly brought down.
Oki, addressing the press amid the wreckage, described the exercise as a long-overdue enforcement action prompted by rampant violations of building codes and rising complaints from residents.
“There have been overwhelming reports from law-abiding residents about abnormal developments. People obtain approval for four flats and proceed to erect eight. Duplexes are illegally converted into tenement-style apartments. This is not only an eyesore but a threat to urban infrastructure and security,” Oki declared. “We cannot allow Ikeja GRA to degenerate into another Ajegunle.”
According to him, the government had issued repeated warnings and given all property owners ample time to present building permits for verification. “This is not a witch hunt. It’s a lawful response to lawlessness,” he affirmed.
The LASBCA chief further explained that such violations strain public utilities and distort the carefully planned architectural harmony of the upscale neighbourhood. Beyond aesthetics and planning violations, he stressed that these unregulated structures have contributed significantly to the area’s security vulnerabilities, providing cover for criminal elements and complicating surveillance for both state and private security agents.
He disclosed that many of the demolished structures were either erected without official permits or had significantly deviated from their originally approved plans. “Where corrections are ignored, demolition is inevitable,” he warned.
Oki reiterated the government’s zero-tolerance stance against environmental degradation and haphazard development. He also assured that the clean-up exercise would not be confined to Ikeja GRA alone, but would be extended to other parts of the metropolis in the coming weeks.
“Our mission is clear: to reclaim public spaces, prevent future building collapses, enforce planning discipline, and ultimately safeguard the lives and properties of Lagosians,” he concluded.
The demolition campaign, while drawing praise from some residents for restoring sanity, has also sparked quiet tension among developers and landlords who now scramble to get their paperwork in order—before the bulldozers arrive on their doorsteps.
PIONEER NEWS 