By Joy Yesufu
The Lagos State Government has defended the demolition of illegal structures at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo, dismissing allegations that the exercise is targeted at any ethnic group.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, made the clarification on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, following criticisms that the action was discriminatory.
“That is not true. We have been to Owode Onirin, Idumota, and Ikeja. It has no ethnic coloration. The fact is that we just have to do our work. There is nothing ethnic here; it is purely technical,” Oluyinka said.
He explained that several buildings within the complex were erected without statutory approvals and in violation of basic safety standards.
According to him, government officials gave occupants over a year to regularise their structures but were met with resistance, including incidents where enforcement officers were harassed and detained.
“I led a team there in March 2024. Between then and now is over a year and a half. Our officers served notices but were locked up for hours. Even this year, they were detained. So what more notice are they requesting?” he asked.
The commissioner also accused the management of the Trade Fair Complex of worsening the situation by leasing land to third parties who built without compliance with planning regulations.
Oluyinka lamented the poor state of infrastructure at the site, citing blocked drainages, broken walkways, and unmanaged refuse, and stressed that government intervention was necessary to restore order.
“It’s a shame we allowed our Trade Fair to get to that extent. Refuse, passage, drainages, walkways, sewage — everything is in shambles. They should even be happy we are there to sanitise, because that is our responsibility,” he said.
The demolition exercise, which began on September 25, was jointly carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Urban Renewal Agency, and the Physical Planning Permit Authority, with security agencies providing backup.
