The Lagos State Government on Thursday began demolishing illegal and unsafe structures at the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo, as part of efforts to restore order and enforce physical planning laws.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Jubril Gawat, confirmed the exercise in a post on X, saying it targeted “illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, defective buildings, and those erected on road setbacks and drainages.”
The operation was carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, with security agencies providing support.
Bulldozers were seen pulling down marked structures while some traders expressed concern over the impact on their businesses.
Authorities said the move was necessary to protect infrastructure and lives, stressing that unapproved constructions contribute to flooding, traffic congestion, and urban disorder in the state.
The demolition follows the recent expiration of a government amnesty programme that allowed owners of irregular buildings to regularise their properties. With the window now closed, enforcement has intensified across Lagos.
