The Lagos State Government has restated its determination to clear illegal structures at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, describing them as serious threats to public safety and urban order.
Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, made this known in a statement on Thursday, stressing that the ongoing demolitions are in line with the state’s urban renewal agenda and backed by law.
Olumide explained that the operation follows a 2003 Supreme Court judgment granting state governments authority to control building developments within their jurisdictions, except in areas exclusively owned or managed by the Federal Government.
He said the enforcement exercise is aimed at creating a safe, organized, and sustainable environment, not at targeting any ethnic group as speculated in some quarters. The commissioner warned that politicians, especially from the Southeast, should desist from politicizing the government’s actions for personal gain.
“The focus is not on who owns the land but on whether the structures have proper approval. Lagos is for everyone, and our duty is to protect lives, property, and the environment through lawful enforcement,” he stated.
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Olumide disclosed that all builders and occupants within the Trade Fair Complex have been given a two-week ultimatum to regularize their documents and obtain necessary permits from the ministry.
He added that similar operations have been carried out in several parts of the state, including markets and estates that house residents from diverse ethnic backgrounds, reinforcing that the law applies equally to all.
The commissioner further noted that states such as Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, and Imo have undertaken comparable urban development actions without ethnic considerations, emphasizing that Lagos cannot be an exception.
“It is false and misleading to claim that our actions are ethnically motivated. Every enforcement step taken by the Lagos State Government is rooted in legality and the collective interest of all residents,” Olumide said, urging the public to support the ongoing efforts to make Lagos safer, cleaner, and better organized for everyone.
