Tokunbo Wahab: Mende buildings demolished to avert flooding of Lagos mainland

Tokunbo Wahab, commissioner for environment and water resources in Lagos, says some buildings in Mende estate were demolished to avert flooding of the entire mainland. 

Speaking in an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, Wahab said the demolished structures were built on system 1 drainage right of way to Odo Iya Alaro river.

Recently, the Lagos government commenced demolition of some buildings at Arowojogbe in Mende estate.

The demolition sparked outrage from residents as video clips of the exercise appeared on social media.

In a trending video, an occupant of an affected building could be heard saying that the Lagos government only issued a two-hour notice before the caterpillars moved in.

Asked to react to allegations that affected residents were not served sufficient notice, the commissioner said demolition notices were served years ago and that several meetings were held between residents and state officials.

“They claimed they were not served notices. They were served. They had come for meetings on several occasions,” the commissioner said.

“The residents’ association had met with the permanent secretary, Engineer Mahmood Adekunle Adegbite on several occasions in my office.

“So, on what basis were they having meetings if they were not served?

“The first notices were served on them in 2021. Each of the property owners on system 1 was duly written that they should remove their encumbrances because they were sitting on system 1.

“If we are removing these properties for personal gains it becomes a different narrative entirely. This is for overriding public interest to avoid the flooding of the whole of mainland.”

The Lagos commissioner said the state environmental laws allow for the removal of buildings that are “encumbrances” to drainage channels.

He added that the system 1 drainage channel is very important to the Odo Iya Alaro river.