The Lagos State Government on Thursday began demolishing illegal and unsafe structures at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo to restore order and enforce planning laws.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Jubril Gawat, confirmed the exercise in a post on X, explaining that it targeted “illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, defective buildings, and those erected on road setbacks and drainages.”
He said the government could not continue to allow unapproved developments that block critical infrastructure and endanger lives.
“The Lagos State Government has begun removal of illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals and defective structures, and structures built on road setback and drainages in the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo Local Government area,” Gawat stated.
The operation was carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority.
Officials from the Office of Infrastructure, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and security operatives were also present to give support.
Bulldozers were seen pulling down marked structures, while some traders and shop owners expressed fear over the effect on their businesses.
The Sanwo-Olu administration has repeatedly warned residents against erecting buildings without approval or blocking drainages, stressing that such practices contribute to flooding, traffic gridlock, and urban disorder.
Authorities said the demolitions are part of ongoing efforts to protect public safety and critical infrastructure, especially as Lagos faces worsening congestion and flooding problems.
Past enforcement exercises, however, have sparked complaints from displaced residents who claimed they were not given enough time to move or protect their belongings.
Lagos State had earlier introduced an amnesty programme that gave owners of unapproved buildings the chance to regularise their structures without penalties. The window, which was extended several times, has now closed, paving the way for stricter enforcement across the city.
