Sunday, August 30, 2026 - The Lagos State Government has commenced the controlled demolition of shanties and other informal structures erected beneath high-tension electricity lines in the Ikola community, Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, following a recent communal clash that left four people dead.
The exercise, being coordinated by the Lagos State Emergency
Management Agency in collaboration with the Lagos State Police Command and the
Rapid Response Squad, is aimed at eliminating safety risks posed by structures
built within the statutory right-of-way of high-voltage transmission lines.
LASEMA, in a statement issued on Saturday by its Permanent
Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the recent clash between members of
the Hausa and Yoruba communities had brought renewed attention to the security
and environmental challenges in the area.
According to him, the communal tension also exposed the
“grave danger” posed by extensive informal settlements located directly
underneath high-voltage power lines.
He stated that such settlements contravened national and
international safety standards and exposed residents to risks including
electrocution, fire outbreaks and structural collapse.
The PS noted that relevant agencies were immediately
deployed to Ikola as part of efforts to safeguard lives and property following
the unrest.
He added that LASEMA, with support from the police and RRS
operatives, began a coordinated intervention after giving affected residents
adequate notice to evacuate and retrieve their belongings.
“The operation was preceded by adequate notice to affected
residents. Communities were granted ample time to safely evacuate and recover
personal belongings before the commencement of any demolition activity,” the
statement read.
The government said the approach was consistent with its
policy of enforcing regulations while showing consideration for residents
affected by the exercise.
He added that the demolition was being carried out in a
controlled manner, with LASEMA deploying heavy recovery equipment to remove
structures within the statutory right-of-way of the power lines.
“All officers and personnel involved in the operation are
safe, and the situation remains calm and under control,” the government said.
The PS stressed that the exercise was not targeted at any
ethnic group, but was aimed at addressing what it described as a dangerous
structural situation threatening residents living under the power lines.
He said, “This intervention is therefore not targeted at any
ethnic group or community, but at a dangerous structural reality that threatens
everyone living in its path.”
The government acknowledged residents’ rights to shelter and
livelihood but said such rights had to be balanced with the responsibility of
preventing avoidable deaths.
He said no development could be considered sustainable if it
was built on preventable risks to human lives.
The demolition comes two days after four adult males were
killed during a clash in the Ikola area.
According to Punch, the incident occurred at the Power Line
Bus Stop, Ikola, after a disagreement escalated into communal unrest.
Oke-Osanyintolu had stated that several makeshift structures
were also razed during the incident, while several other people sustained
injuries.
The Lagos State Police Command however said it restored calm
following the incident.
The state government said it would continue to engage
community leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Ikola to
promote peaceful coexistence and ensure compliance with urban planning
regulations.
The government appealed to Ikola residents and community
leaders to cooperate with the ongoing exercise, saying the objective was to
create a safer and more orderly environment and prevent future loss of lives.
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