Lagos demolishes shanties after four die in community clash

The Lagos State Government has commenced the controlled demolition of shanties and other informal structures erected beneath high-tension electricity lines in the Ikola community, Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, following a recent communal clash that left four people dead.

The exercise, being coordinated by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency in collaboration with the Lagos State Police Command and the Rapid Response Squad, is aimed at eliminating safety risks posed by structures built within the statutory right-of-way of high-voltage transmission lines.

LASEMA, in a statement issued on Saturday by its Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the recent clash between members of the Hausa and Yoruba communities had brought renewed attention to the security and environmental challenges in the area.

According to him, the communal tension also exposed the “grave danger” posed by extensive informal settlements located directly underneath high-voltage power lines.

He stated that such settlements contravened national and international safety standards and exposed residents to risks including electrocution, fire outbreaks and structural collapse.

The PS noted that relevant agencies were immediately deployed to Ikola as part of efforts to safeguard lives and property following the unrest.

He added that LASEMA, with support from the police and RRS operatives, began a coordinated intervention after giving affected residents adequate notice to evacuate and retrieve their belongings.

“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 read.

The government said the approach was consistent with its policy of enforcing regulations while showing consideration for residents affected by the exercise.

He added that the demolition was being carried out in a controlled manner, with LASEMA deploying heavy recovery equipment to remove structures within the statutory right-of-way of the power lines.

“All officers and personnel involved in the operation are safe, and the situation remains calm and under control,” the government said.

The PS stressed that the exercise was not targeted at any ethnic group, but was aimed at addressing what it described as a dangerous structural situation threatening residents living under the power lines.

He said, “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’ rights to shelter and livelihood but said such rights had to be balanced with the responsibility of preventing avoidable deaths.

He said no development could be considered sustainable if it was built on preventable risks to human lives.

The demolition comes two days after four adult males were killed during a clash in the Ikola area.

PUNCH Online had reported on Thursday that the incident occurred at the Power Line Bus Stop, Ikola, after a disagreement escalated into communal unrest.

Oke-Osanyintolu had stated that several makeshift structures were also razed during the incident, while several other people sustained injuries.

The Lagos State Police Command however said it restored calm following the incident.

The state government said it would continue to engage community leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders in Ikola to promote peaceful coexistence and ensure compliance with urban planning regulations.

The government appealed to Ikola residents and community leaders to cooperate with the ongoing exercise, saying the objective was to create a safer and more orderly environment and prevent future loss of lives.