The Lagos State Government has sealed off several illegal land reclamation sites and issued stop-work orders to individuals reclaiming and narrowing sections of the Ikota River near Partibons Homes Estate and Bee-Forth Estate Phase II, off Orchid Road in Lekki.
The government announced the action on Monday via its official X handle, explaining that it followed an inspection tour conducted over the weekend by the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab.
Wahab described the illegal activities as “disturbing” and condemned those deliberately destroying the natural ecosystem. He revealed that the ministry had received a distress alert about ongoing illegal reclamation of the Ikota River, where individuals were reportedly building unauthorised structures to sell to unsuspecting buyers.
“There’s no way to completely prevent flash floods in a coastal city like Lagos, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers. What we can do is minimise their impact through sustainable and resilient infrastructure,” Wahab said.
The Commissioner noted that some individuals had blocked major stormwater channels — specifically Systems 156 and 157 — which should flow into the Ikota River and then to the lagoon. He warned that such human interference worsens flooding and stressed that the state government would not tolerate actions that endanger lives.
During the visit, Wahab also inspected the ongoing restoration of the right-of-way along the Ikota River at Oral Estate II, where 17 illegal structures have already been demolished. He was accompanied by the Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, for a joint inspection of environmental violations along the Lekki–Epe Expressway.
The inspection was part of preparations for the forthcoming Green Rail Line project along the same corridor.
Wahab explained that the state had earlier issued abatement notices on 26 September 2025 to automobile dealers who had encroached on wetlands and under high-tension power lines, going beyond their temporary government-approved locations.
He said these actions breach the master plan for the Green Line project, coordinated by the Ministry of Transportation, and reminded the dealers that their temporary permits strictly prohibited permanent construction. Wahab reaffirmed the state’s commitment to preserving wetlands as part of its long-term flood control strategy.
He directed immediate enforcement against all identified violations, while Osiyemi confirmed that construction of the Green Line project would commence in December.
According to him, the rail line — which will connect Marina to Epe — will be executed in two phases: the first from Lekki First Tollgate to Epe, and the second from Marina via the waterways. The entire project is expected to take between two and three years to complete.