The recent demolition of structures at Arowojobe and Mende estates in Maryland, Lagos, by the Lagos State Government sparked outrage among residents and celebrities like Yemi Alade.
The government said it was reclaiming the Odo-Iya Alaro channel’s right of way. However, residents protested the short notice given before the demolition.
Videos of the demolition circulated online, showing residents expressing shock at the two-hour notice given by the government.
Nigerian singer Yemi Alade criticised the government’s actions, questioning the logic of rendering people homeless overnight after investing significant amounts in real estate.
“Lagos State, what is going on? Does it make sense that people will invest millions of naira, millions of dollars into real estate, buy houses, buy land and Lagos State (government) will go and be breaking walls, breaking houses, rendering people homeless overnight? And it’s done serially. It is done back-to-back. Now Maryland, Mende area is on fire. People are sleeping in their houses, waking up the next day homeless,” she fumed.
Residents were issued notices of demolition in 2021 and 2023
Responding to the controversy surrounding the demolitions, Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, explained that the demolitions were due to developers encroaching on approved setbacks, obstructing rainwater flow.
He also said residents received the first notice of demolition since 2021, and a final notice was served in November 2023.
“We also visited Mende Villa, Maryland, where the developer initially claimed there was a drainage approval on the property. The directors who were in the know of what transpired at the time were invited to speak on the issue but confirmed that the developer was given temporary and conditional approval to leave a 20m setback from the edge of System 1 but he encroached on the setback thereby obstructing the flow of rainwater.
“However, by the magnanimity of Governor @jidesanwoolu, the ROW was approved to be reduced to 100m from 140m and spread on a 60/40 basis (60 Mende/40 Ogudu) instead of the initial 140m sitting on the Mende side.
“The instruction to immediately continue the removal of all structures on the alignment has been given to the enforcement team after the 1st notice to remove was served on them in 2021 and the last notice was served in November 2023 after the meeting with the stakeholders,” he wrote on X Saturday.
Despite Wahab’s claims of prior notices and engagements with stakeholders, the demolitions have raised concerns about the impact on affected residents.