The Lagos State Government has announced plans to demolish all buildings and structures erected beneath high-tension power lines in Makoko, Oworonshoki, and other high-risk communities.
Officials said continued habitation and commercial activity in these restricted zones endangers lives, violates planning laws, and threatens critical infrastructure, including the Third Mainland Bridge.
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Olajide Babatunde, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Electronic Geographic Information System and Urban Development, disclosed the plan during an assessment tour of the Third Mainland Bridge corridor on Wednesday.
Mr Babatunde was accompanied by Gbolahan Oki, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development; Oladimeji Animashaun, General Manager of the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency; and senior officials from other relevant state agencies.
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The inspection covered areas from Oworonshoki to Adekunle and Makoko in Ebute-Metta. During the tour, the team identified numerous shanties and other structures encroaching on bridge setbacks and violating the legally prescribed 50-metre right-of-way.
Mr Babatunde warned that the state would not tolerate habitation or commercial activity beneath high-tension power lines or in restricted zones.
“Such practices endanger lives and property,” he said, adding that enforcement would be strengthened to ensure compliance with planning regulations, safeguard critical infrastructure, and enhance public safety.
Mr Oki said the government had engaged multiple stakeholders in Makoko and other affected communities, cautioning them about the dangers of building directly under transmission cables and near the Third Mainland Bridge.
“As far back as February this year, we gave them 14 days to vacate the area, but as you can see, they refused. They are even extending towards the middle of the Third Mainland Bridge. We have warned them several times; the next step is to take the bull by the horns,” Mr Oki said.
He added that the government had made it clear during these engagements that no further notice would be given before enforcement begins.
While the government continues to collaborate with community leaders, Mr Oki said public safety remains the top priority.
“If any of those cables fall and anything happens, the blame will be on the government. The lives of the people are more important. They are also encroaching on the Third Mainland Bridge,” he said, reaffirming Governor Sanwo-Olu’s commitment to enforcing urban development laws.
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has repeatedly warned residents of Makoko and other high-risk zones to vacate buildings under high-tension cables, citing risks such as electrocution, fire, and structural collapse.
The most recent government enforcement drive began a few months ago. As of September 2025, the government announced plans to demolish shanties built directly beneath high-tension power lines in Makoko and other communities, following similar demolitions at the Oworonshoki end of the Third Mainland Bridge corridor.
Officials said the demolitions are part of a broader urban-renewal and public-safety effort, arguing that these structures violate planning regulations and pose serious risks both to inhabitants and to critical infrastructure.
LASBCA had earlier issued an ultimatum to owners of illegal structures under powerlines to vacate, warning that enforcement would follow after repeated noncompliance.
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