The Lagos State Government has sealed several properties in Lekki and apprehended five suspects for engaging in illegal dredging and land reclamation along the Lagos Lagoon.
The enforcement exercise, carried out on Sunday, was led by the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development (MWID) in collaboration with the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, and the Lands Bureau.
Commissioner for MWID, Mr. Dayo Alebiosu, who led the operation, disclosed in a statement issued by the ministry’s Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Morenikeji Akodu, that a property on Admiralty Way, Lekki Phase 1, was sealed for reclaiming parts of the lagoon and extending its fence without state approval.
He described the owner’s action as an act of “legendary audacity,” noting that the building had previously been sealed several times by relevant agencies but that the owners continued construction and hosted social activities despite the sanctions.
“The state government will prosecute the offenders. This process may lead to forfeiture of the illegally reclaimed land, while the recovered sand will be diverted for other productive purposes,” Alebiosu stated.
Commissioner for Physical Planning, Dr. Olumide Oluyinka, revealed that the property’s layout had been unlawfully expanded from 1,200 square metres to about 8,000 square metres. He added that the site, though incomplete, was already being used for social gatherings, which posed safety risks.
During the operation, the enforcement team also discovered several illegal dredging and reclamation sites at the Lekki foreshore, which were subsequently sealed. Five suspects were arrested at the scene, while others fled upon sighting officials.
Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Mr. Mahmood Adegbite, said three water channels leading into the lagoon had been blocked by the illegal operators, while his counterpart at the Office of Environmental Services, Mr. Mobolaji Gaji, explained that the reclamation activities had obstructed a major water channel, endangering the lagoon’s ecosystem.
“We have sealed the place and are awaiting proper documentation. Too many illegal reclamation projects are ongoing, and the state intends to enforce the law,” Gaji said.
Alebiosu decried the proliferation of unregulated sand-dealing operations along the lagoon, pointing out that many lacked mandatory Environmental Impact Assessments from the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. He added that some dredging activities stretched up to seven kilometres into the lagoon with no official record of the sand extracted.
The commissioner further condemned the erection of shanties along the waterfront, describing them as both environmental hazards and hideouts for criminal activities.
He stressed that the monitoring and enforcement exercise was part of the state’s response to the commitments made by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the recently concluded Waterfront Summit, where he pledged to intensify efforts against illegal dredging and reclamation under the T.H.E.M.E.S+ Development Agenda.
Other agencies represented at the exercise included the Executive Secretary of the Lands Bureau, Mrs. Lolade Ajetumobi, and the General Manager of the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps, Retired Maj. Olaniyi Cole.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of the Environment directed the suspension of all reclamation projects across the state, citing widespread violations of environmental regulations and the absence of necessary Environmental Impact Assessment approvals and drainage clearances.