Flood Fury: Lagos Govt Pulls Down Illegal Structures Fueling Ebute Metta Flooding

In a decisive move to confront the perennial menace of flooding, the Lagos State Government on Thursday launched a demolition exercise targeting illegal structures obstructing stormwater channels in Ebute Metta.

The enforcement team, acting under the supervision of the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, cleared encroachments along the Jebba/Kano collector, a critical drainage channel in the area.

In a post shared on his official X handle, Wahab accompanied the announcement with striking video clips showing taskforce operatives dismantling concrete walls and slicing through steel barricades that had choked the natural flow of stormwater.

“These illegal structures are a major factor behind the recurrent flooding in Ebute Metta. Our enforcement team has now removed them to restore the free passage of stormwater,” Wahab declared.

He further cautioned residents and property owners against building extensions or encroaching on designated drainage rights of way, warning that such actions not only compromise public infrastructure but also put lives and property at grave risk.

Wahab reiterated that maintaining a functional drainage network remains central to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s climate resilience and flood control agenda, stressing that the state would intensify crackdowns on all forms of environmental infractions across Lagos.

“This is not just about enforcement; it is about protecting the people of Lagos,” he added.