The Lagos State Government has dismissed claims that the ongoing demolition of illegal structures at the Trade Fair Complex is targeted at any ethnic group.
The state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, said on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television that the exercise was strictly about enforcement of planning laws.
“That is not true. We have been to Owode Onirin, Idumota, and Ikeja. It has no ethnic correlation. The fact is that we just have to do our work. There is nothing ethnic here; it is purely technical,” Oluyinka explained.
He noted that many of the demolished buildings had no statutory approvals and some failed basic safety standards.
“The facts are clear; when you are in a place, you must live by the law of that place. It is as simple as that,” he added.
Oluyinka also said the government gave enough notice before the demolition. He recalled that when officials visited the complex in March 2024 to serve notices, they were harassed and detained for several hours.
“Our officers went there to serve notices and were locked up for five to six hours. We had to bring in the police to release them. Even this year, officers went there and were detained. So what more notice are they requesting? It’s not new to them that we were coming,” he said.
The commissioner accused the management of the Trade Fair Complex of worsening the situation by leasing land to third parties who ignored planning regulations.
“It’s a shame we allowed our Trade Fair to get to that extent. Refuse, passage, drainages, walkways, sewage, everything is in shambles. They should even be happy we are there to sanitise because that is our responsibility. We cannot allow it to continue,” he stressed.
The demolition, which started on September 25, is being carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning alongside the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Urban Renewal Agency, and the Physical Planning Permit Authority.
