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The Lagos State Government has announced that it will permanently enforce the removal of illegal shanties and makeshift structures along the median of the Lagos–Badagry Expressway, warning that anyone who returns after the ongoing clearance exercise will face prosecution. Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, made the declaration during an inspection of the demolition exercise, stressing that the operation is aimed at reclaiming the highway and preventing future encroachment.
According to Wahab, the expressway median is reserved for the proposed rail line and cannot be converted into markets, residential settlements or business spaces. He disclosed that enforcement teams would conduct daily patrols to ensure illegal occupants do not return, adding that the government has already prosecuted more than 1,000 environmental offenders over the past year and will continue to enforce existing laws without hesitation. The clearance exercise follows a 72-hour quit notice earlier issued by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to occupants of the affected structures.
The commissioner also urged residents to dispose of waste responsibly through approved Private Sector Participation (PSP) operators or the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), blaming indiscriminate dumping of refuse for worsening flash floods across parts of the state. He explained that recent flooding was largely caused by heavy rainfall coinciding with high sea levels, which temporarily slowed stormwater discharge into the lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean, while assuring residents that the government is addressing areas experiencing persistent flooding through improved drainage infrastructure.
