You have 48-hour to leave – Lagos govt tell Igbo property owners

Along the Gbagada-Bariga drainage channel, squatters and owners of unlawful structures have been given a 48-hour notice to vacate by the Lagos State Government.

Tokunbo Wahab, the commissioner for the environment and water resources, made the announcement on Sunday via a post on the social media site X.

According to Wahab, squatters and obstructive structures have blocked the drainage channel, which is responsible for deflooding the downstream communities of Bariga, Gbagada, Sholuyi, and other areas.

The area has recently experienced floods, which is largely due to this obstruction.

“The drainage channel which defloods Bariga, Gbagada, Sholuyi downstream communities and environs, and discharges into System 1 has been taken over by squatters who have constituted nuisance and security risks to the estate, and property owners who deliberately built to obstruct free flow of water in the area,” Wahab stated.

“Shanties were erected along the length of the channel, and their activities blocked collectors that are supposed to carry stormwater into the channel, which resulted in the flooding experienced during the week.”

Wahab added that following the expiration of the eviction notices, the Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources will begin the removal of the illegal structures to restore proper drainage and mitigate flooding in the area.

This action comes after a 10-hour downpour on Wednesday that caused severe flooding in many parts of Lagos and Ogun states.

The heavy rain resulted in the collapse of a two-storey building in Mushin, halted vehicular movement on several roads, and disrupted business and commercial activities. Thousands of residents were affected, and many pupils were unable to attend school.