The Lagos State Government has announced plans to demolish illegal structures and shanties built under high-tension power lines in the Makoko community of Yaba, citing serious safety concerns.
The enforcement action, which will be carried out by the Office of Urban and Regional Planning, follows the recent clearance of dilapidated buildings and shanties at the Oworonshoki end of the Third Mainland Bridge, in Kosofe Local Government Area.
Speaking on the development, Gbolahan Oki, Permanent Secretary, Office of Urban Development, said the government has held multiple stakeholder meetings with residents of Makoko. Despite repeated warnings, many continue to build dangerously close to—or directly under—high-tension electricity cables.
“We have held several meetings with people living in Makoko because many of the shanties are built under high-tension cables,” Oki said. “We have told them to move, but they have refused. They are even extending to the middle of the Third Mainland Bridge, and we have warned them several times.”
Oki emphasized that the state government is especially concerned about the illegal extension of structures toward the bridge and the potential disaster such developments could cause.
“As a government, we don’t just start removing buildings. We are working with their community leaders to clear illegal structures under high power lines in the Makoko community. If any of those cables fall and anything happens to the people, the blame will be on the government. The lives of the people are more important.”
He further noted that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration is prioritizing public safety over political convenience.
“We want to work, but some people don’t want us to work. But we are going to do it. What is bad is bad. Some people are making money hiding under these bad attitudes, but as a people, we just have to change.”
Oworonshoki Demolitions and Security Concerns
Oki also addressed the recent demolition exercise in Oworonshoki, which sparked protests and led to the temporary blockade of the Third Mainland Bridge by some residents. He said the state had spent three years engaging the community and offering an amnesty period for residents to regularize building approvals—a directive that was largely ignored.
Out of the affected residents, only two complied with the state’s requirements for proper documentation and approvals. Investigations by the government also revealed that many of the demolished buildings were structurally unsafe.
Furthermore, the government has linked the area to criminal activity, including traffic robberies on the Third Mainland Bridge.
“Investigations revealed that many of the traffic robberies committed on the Third Mainland Bridge are carried out by residents of the area who run back to the shanties after carrying out their robbery,” Oki said.
He reiterated that the Lagos State Government remains committed to strict enforcement of building regulations and urban planning laws to ensure that all structures in the state are safe, secure, and suitable for habitation.
