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Community leaders in Okun Igando, a coastal settlement in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area of Lagos State, have raised the alarm over a proposed 150-metre setback along both sides of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, warning that it could wipe out ancestral homes and long-standing settlements.
In a statement on Tuesday, Gbadebo Fatah, the Baale, and other community leaders including Adebayo Agbabiaka, Surau Opeyemi, Sharahu Ogunyemi, and Prince Abraham urged the federal government and the Lagos State Government to suspend any further demolition and grant waivers for existing settlements.
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While supporting the coastal highway project, a flagship initiative of President Bola Tinubu, the leaders expressed concern that properties already marked for demolition could wipe out entire communities.
“After all our sacrifices—homes, shrines, heritage sites—some people came again to mark houses for demolition. They said they were from the Surveyor-General’s office. If they take 150 metres to the right and 150 metres to the left, nothing will be left of our community,” said Mr Agbabiaka.
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Many affected homes, the leaders noted, were built decades ago, with materials transported manually through waterways from Epe.
They also criticised compensation from previous demolitions as grossly inadequate.
“Some families received between N9 million and N10 million. There is nowhere in Ibeju-Lekki today where that can buy land, not to talk of rebuilding a house,” Mr Agbabiaka added.
A community leader Sharahu Ogunyemi said that compensation had often covered crops but not buildings, leaving many residents uncompensated for demolished structures.
Prince Abraham warned that some claims suggest an even wider 1.5-kilometre corridor could be enforced in future. “If that happens, the whole community could be wiped out,” he said.
Mr Fatah emphasised that the community is not opposed to development. “We support the coastal road. It is a legacy project. But development should not erase entire communities without dialogue and justice,” he said.
Government response
PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday reached out to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, by WhatsApp and text for comment on the 150-metre setback.
At the time of filing, he had not responded.
READ ALSO: Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road: Shoreline never belonged to Landmark – Umahi
His former media aide, Uchenna Orji, confirmed he is no longer with the minister and could not provide updates.
On Tuesday, a source in the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation said the markings were meant to delineate federal land, not to serve as a demolition notice.
Also, the Zonal Director of Survey Coordination, OSGOF in Lagos, Sunday Adefarati, declined to comment.
Background
According to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), over 32 communities across Ibeju-Lekki, including Eleko, Iberekodo, and Igando Oruju, have been marked for demolition over the same setback.
It noted that residents had already faced displacement, inadequate compensation, and repeated road realignments over the years. Some communities had earlier avoided destruction through diversions, but the renewed setback threatens half of their settlements.
Residents have formed pressure groups to engage authorities and explore legal avenues, warning that enforcement without proper consultation could trigger unrest.
