The Lagos State Government has demolished 138 shanties along the canal bank in Ajao Estate, where occupants paid between N60,000 and N100,000 annually, as part of efforts to address environmental infractions and illegal encampments.
The operation, conducted on Thursday by the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), popularly known as KAI, aimed to restore order and reclaim public spaces in the area.
The announcement was made by Tokunbo Wahab, the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, through a statement shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday.
“In continuation of concerted measures to reduce the scourge of environmental infractions and illegal encampment in public spaces, the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) popularly known as KAI on Thursday demolished 138 shanties around the canal bank in Ajao Estate Canal where illegal occupants pays between N60,000 to N100,000 rent,” the statement read.
Accompanying the commissioner’s post was a video showing officials using mallets and other tools to demolish the makeshift wooden structures.
In the video, the structures being demolished were located around Baale Shekoni Street and Qudus Folawiyo Crescent in Lagos, within the Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area.
The illegal structures violated environmental and urban planning regulations while posing significant risks to public health and safety.
What you should know
The Lagos State Government has intensified efforts to clear shanties and illegal structures across the state as part of its broader strategy to tackle environmental infractions, illegal encampments, and promote urban regeneration.
- In November 2024, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) demolished shanties and unauthorized structures near NIPOST on Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi. Around the same time, the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) cleared 54 illegal shanties and dislodged 84 occupants from beneath the Eko Bridge in the Ebute-Ero area.
- In October, operatives of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC) cleared several shanties and makeshift structures obstructing drainage systems and encroaching on roadways at Daleko Market in Mushin.
- Earlier in May, authorities dismantled 86 makeshift apartments beneath the Dolphin Estate Bridge in Ikoyi, where tenants reportedly paid up to N250,000 annually for a single room.
- Similar enforcement actions have been carried out at key locations, including the Ijora Causeway Bridge, Blue Line Overhead Bridge, National Stadium Bridge, and Osborne Bridge, showcasing the government’s unwavering commitment to addressing illegal encroachments comprehensively.
To prevent the reoccupation of cleared areas of public spaces, Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced plans to collaborate with the private sector to repurpose these spaces into public-use facilities, ensuring long-term solutions and improved urban management.
