The Lagos State Government has sealed off illegal reclamation sites and issued a stop-work order to individuals reclaiming and narrowing sections of the Ikota River around Partibons Homes Estate and Bee-Forth Estate Phase II off Orchid Road in the Lekki area of the state.
In a statement posted on its official X handle on Monday, the government said the enforcement followed an inspection tour by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, over the weekend.
Wahab described the illegal reclamation activities as “heart-wrenching,” lamenting that some individuals have deliberately chosen to destroy the natural ecosystem.
He explained that the ministry had received an SOS alert indicating that some people were aggressively reclaiming parts of the Ikota River and erecting illegal structures with the intent of selling them to unsuspecting citizens.
“There’s no way flash flooding can be completely stopped in a coastal state like Lagos, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers. What we can do is mitigate it through resilient infrastructure and sustainable approaches,” Wahab said.
The Commissioner noted that some unscrupulous individuals had blocked stormwater channels, specifically systems 156 and 157, which are designed to discharge into the Ikota River and further into the lagoon.
He warned that human interference with these natural alignments worsens flooding, adding that the state government will not fold its hands and allow the actions of a few to endanger the lives of many.
Wahab also inspected the ongoing restoration of the right-of-way along the Ikota River alignment at Oral Estate II, where 17 illegal structures had already been demolished.
He was accompanied by the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, during a joint inspection of environmental infractions along the Lekki–Epe Expressway.
The exercise is in preparation for the upcoming Green Rail Line project planned along the corridor.
According to Wahab, abatement notices were earlier served on September 26, 2025, to automobile dealers who had encroached on wetlands and under high-tension power lines, beyond the temporary site approved by the government.
He said such actions violate the original master plan for the Green Line project being coordinated by the Ministry of Transportation.
He reiterated that the temporary approvals issued to the automobile dealers clearly prohibited the erection of permanent structures, stressing that the state remains committed to preserving wetlands as part of its long-term flood mitigation strategy.
Wahab directed immediate enforcement against all identified infractions, while Osiyemi disclosed that the Green Line project will commence in December.
He added that the rail line, which will run from Marina to Epe, will be executed in phases, with the first phase from Lekki First Tollgate to Epe and the second phase from Marina via the waterways, and is expected to take about two to three years to complete.
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