The Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, has clarified that the Nigeria Government did not demolish any property belonging to Landmark Africa during the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Umahi made this statement during the inauguration of Phase 1 of the highway in Lagos on Saturday.
Landmark Africa, operators of Landmark Beach, had earlier sought compensation for what it claimed was the demolition of its property, allegedly worth billions of naira, by the Federal Government during the roadworks.
However, speaking to President Bola Tinubu at the event, Umahi insisted that Landmark’s property remained untouched. According to him, only the company’s encroachment on the shoreline was affected.
“Mr President, I confirm that we did not damage Landmark’s property. In fact, the dual carriageway was split to preserve existing infrastructure on your instruction—even though they had encroached on the gazetted route,” Umahi said.
“The actual infrastructure remains intact. What we removed was their encroachment onto the federal shoreline. The Supreme Court has ruled that 250 metres from the shoreline belongs to the Federal Government.”
Umahi also announced that the President has directed governors of states hosting major Federal Government projects to allocate at least 500 metres from the road’s edge for tolling and infrastructure safety.
He further explained that, while the law does not require the Federal Government to compensate for illegal structures or shanties, the President ordered compensation to be paid.
A total of ₦18 billion has already been disbursed for compensation under Phase 1 of the highway project.