The Lagos State Government has announced plans to demolish illegal structures obstructing drainage channels and canal right of way in Lekki as part of efforts to tackle flooding and enforce environmental regulations.
A statement by the state government said the exercise will affect illegal structures along Agungi, Ajiran and Ikota, stressing that no individual or developer would be spared if found to have encroached on drainage channels.
The Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made this known after inspecting major drainage infrastructure and flood control projects in Lekki, Agungi, Ikota and Ajiran. The inspection followed repeated reports of flooding in Agungi despite the completion of major drainage projects in the area more than two years ago.
During the inspection, Wahab said officials discovered a major obstruction responsible for the persistent flooding in Ajiran, where a land-owning family had blocked the Ajiran outfall channel.
According to him, the family illegally blocked the outlet of a primary drainage channel that empties into the Lagos Lagoon, preventing stormwater from flowing out of the community.
He explained that the drainage system was designed to discharge floodwater naturally into the lagoon through gravity, adding that the blockage had seriously reduced its effectiveness.
“We discovered that the outlet into the lagoon had been deliberately blocked, without opening that channel, the water cannot leave the area. We have therefore directed that it be reopened immediately in the overriding public interest,” he said.
The commissioner stressed that although the government respects legitimate land ownership and
