The Lagos State Government has defended the recent demolition of structures at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, insisting that the exercise was based on technical planning violations and not motivated by ethnic bias.
Speaking during a television interview on Thursday, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, dismissed widespread claims that the demolition unfairly targeted specific ethnic groups.
“That is not true,” Oluyinka said. “We have carried out similar enforcement in Owode Onirin, Idumota, and Ikeja. There’s no ethnic colouration. It is purely technical. We are just doing our work.”
Demolition Due to Illegal Leasing, Unsafe Structures
According to the commissioner, the Trade Fair Complex demolition was triggered by widespread illegal leasing practices and construction of unsafe buildings without government approval. He accused the Trade Fair Management Board of leasing plots to third parties who then constructed buildings without professional oversight.
“We saw a three-storey building barely two feet from the road kerb. When you open the shop doors, they swing over the road. Can you call that proper planning?” Oluyinka said. “There was no meaningful layout. No serious architect could have approved such designs.”
Notices Were Issued Long Before Demolition
Oluyinka revealed that defaulters were served notices as far back as March 2024, and had over a year to comply with the state’s planning regulations.
“I personally led a team there in March last year. We engaged the Executive Director, and there was near confrontation — proof that we had warned them. Our officers were even detained when trying to serve notices. How much more time were they expecting?” he questioned.
He added that even in 2025, government officials were harassed during enforcement attempts, forcing the state to involve police intervention.
