- Lagos Govt has sealed Lekki Property Over Massive Illegal Lagoon Reclamation
- “legendary audacity,” noting that the building had been repeatedly sealed
- Exercise was in line with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s pledge
Lagos State Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development has intensified its campaign against illegal dredging and reclamation activities along the Lekki corridor, sealing several sites and arresting five suspects.
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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure, Mr. Dayo Alebiosu, said in a statement on Sunday that the enforcement was conducted in collaboration with the Ministries of Physical Planning, Environment and Water Resources, as well as the Lands Bureau.
During the exercise, officials sealed a building on Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, over illegal reclamation works and an unauthorised extension of its fence. Alebiosu described the act as “legendary audacity,” noting that the building had been repeatedly sealed by state agencies since last year but construction and social events still continued.
He warned that offenders risk prosecution, forfeiture of reclaimed land, and diversion of recovered sand for state use. At the Lekki Foreshore, the team also uncovered multiple illegal dredging sites, many without Environmental Impact Assessments.
Some reclamation stretched over seven kilometres into the lagoon, while shanties in the area were identified as hideouts for criminal elements.
Commissioner for Physical Planning, Dr. Olumide Oluyinka, said the property owner initially presented a 1,200 sqm layout in 2024 but had illegally expanded the site to about 8,000 sqm. He added that ongoing construction and parties at the location endangered lives.
Permanent Secretaries, including Mr. Mahmood Adegbite of Drainage Services and Mr. Mobolaji Gaji of Environmental Services, confirmed that reclamation works had blocked critical water channels, threatening the ecosystem.
Alebiosu stressed that the monitoring exercise was in line with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s pledge at the recent Waterfront Summit to clamp down on illegal reclamation and safeguard the state’s waterways under the T.H.E.M.E.S+ Agenda.
Earlier this month, the state suspended all reclamation projects lacking Environmental Impact Assessment approvals.
