The Lagos State Government has commenced the controlled demolition of shanties and other informal structures built beneath high-tension electricity lines in Ikola community, Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area.
The exercise follows a communal clash in the area that left four adult men dead and has drawn renewed attention to security and safety concerns around settlements located within the right-of-way of high-voltage transmission lines.
The demolition is being coordinated by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) in collaboration with the Lagos State Police Command and the Rapid Response Squad.
In a statement issued on Saturday, LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the intervention was intended to address the safety risks posed by structures erected directly beneath high-voltage power lines.
According to him, the recent tension between members of the Hausa and Yoruba communities had highlighted wider security and environmental challenges in the Ikola area.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the extensive informal settlements under the power lines constituted a “grave danger” to residents, citing risks including electrocution, fire outbreaks and structural collapse.
He said relevant government agencies were deployed to the community after the unrest as part of efforts to protect lives and property.
LASEMA said affected residents were given notice to evacuate and retrieve their belongings before demolition activities began.
“The operation was preceded by adequate notice to affected residents. Communities were granted ample time to safely evacuate and recover personal belongings before the commencement of any demolition activity,” the statement said.
The agency said the approach was consistent with the state government’s policy of enforcing regulations while taking into consideration residents affected by the exercise.
According to the statement, LASEMA deployed heavy recovery equipment to remove structures located within the statutory right-of-way of the electricity transmission lines.
The government also said the operation was being conducted in a controlled manner and that all officers and personnel involved were safe, with the situation remaining calm.
Oke-Osanyintolu stressed that the demolition was not directed at any ethnic group or community.
He said the intervention was focused on what the government described as a dangerous structural situation affecting everyone living beneath the power lines.
“This intervention is therefore not targeted at any ethnic group or community, but at a dangerous structural reality that threatens everyone living in its path.”
The government acknowledged residents’ need for shelter and livelihood but said those considerations had to be balanced against the responsibility to prevent avoidable deaths.
Oke-Osanyintolu argued that development could not be considered sustainable where it exposed residents to preventable risks.
Four killed in Ikola clash
The demolition exercise comes two days after four adult males were killed during a clash at the Power Line Bus Stop in Ikola.
The incident reportedly followed a disagreement that escalated into communal unrest in the area.
Oke-Osanyintolu had said several makeshift structures were also razed during the violence, while several other people sustained injuries.
The Lagos State Police Command, however, said it had restored calm in the area following the incident.
The state government said it would continue engaging community leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Ikola to promote peaceful coexistence and ensure compliance with urban planning regulations.
It appealed to residents and community leaders to cooperate with the ongoing exercise, saying the objective was to create a safer and more orderly environment and prevent further loss of lives.
