Communities beg govt to halt setback enforcement
Residents of communities in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State have appealed to the Federal Government to suspend what they described as a fresh plan to enforce a 150-metre
Residents of communities in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State have appealed to the Federal Government to suspend what they described as a fresh plan to enforce a 150-metre setback on both sides of the proposed coastal highway, warning that the move could erase long-established ancestral settlements.
Community leaders said the development had created fear and panic among residents, adding that further demolitions could trigger unrest among people who claim they have already lost homes, shrines and heritage sites to earlier phases of the project.
While commending Bola Tinubu for initiating the transformative and legacy infrastructure project, the leaders alleged that repeated realignments of the corridor had resulted in the demolition of houses and cultural landmarks across parts of the axis.
They called on the Federal Ministry of Works and the Lagos State Government to clearly communicate the road’s alignment and setback provisions, urging authorities to engage affected communities and consider granting waivers to existing settlements.
Speaking on behalf of the communities, Chief Adebayo Agbabiaka stated that previous demolition exercises had displaced entire villages, including multi-storey buildings constructed long before the area’s road infrastructure was established.
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He noted that in earlier years, residents transported building materials by boat through Epe and carried them inland, highlighting the effort invested in developing the settlements.
Agbabiaka criticised compensation paid during earlier projects, describing it as grossly inadequate.
According to him, some families received between N9 million and N10 million, which he said could not secure land within the district or cover the relocation of entire households.
He added that although compensation was reportedly paid for crops affected during construction, many homeowners had yet to receive payment for demolished structures.
He alleged that officials recently returned to mark houses for possible demolition, claiming they were from the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation.
According to him, buildings were marked 150 metres to the right and left, despite the communities having already suffered earlier destruction.
“These are our ancestral homes. If they are taken from us, where will we go?” he said, appealing for a waiver that would allow residents to remain.
The Chief Odofin of Opo-Ijebu Kingdom, Kunle Balogun, also expressed concern, saying earlier realignments had already destroyed shrines and ancestral homes.
He urged the government to reconsider any further expansion of the corridor, warning that additional setbacks could leave little of the settlements intact.
Another resident, Sharahu Ogunyemi, described the land as communal property and warned that enforcing the proposed setback would effectively erase the communities.
He appealed for government intervention to prevent displacement.
