Lagos To Demolish Structures Under Power Lines

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to demolish illegal structures built beneath high-tension power lines in the Makoko community, Yaba, citing serious safety hazards.

This enforcement follows a recent clearance of shanties and derelict buildings near the Oworonshoki end of the Third Mainland Bridge by the Office of Urban and Regional Planning.

Permanent Secretary of the Office of Urban Development, Gbolahan Oki, revealed that the government has held multiple stakeholder meetings with Makoko residents.

He expressed deep concern over the continued expansion of makeshift structures not only under high-tension cables but also dangerously close to the Third Mainland Bridge.

“We have held several meetings with people living in Makoko because many of the shanties are built under high-tension cables.

“We have told them to move, but they have refused. They are even extending to the middle of the third mainland bridge, and we have warned them several times,” Oki stated.

He emphasized that the state is not acting unilaterally, highlighting ongoing collaboration with community leaders to dismantle hazardous structures.

“If any of those cables fall and anything happens to the people, the blame will be on the government. The lives of the people are more important. They are also encroaching on the third mainland bridge,” he said.

Oki also referenced similar demolitions in Oworonshoki that recently led to protests and a brief blockage of the Third Mainland Bridge.

He clarified that the state had offered residents a three-year window to regularize their buildings, but only two complied despite an amnesty period.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration, Oki said, remains committed to enforcing urban development regulations and protecting lives, even in the face of resistance.

“What is bad is bad. Some people are making money hiding under these bad attitudes, but as a people, we just have to change,” he added.

Lagos To Demolish Structures Under Power Lines is first published on The Whistler Newspaper