The Lagos State Government has dismissed claims that the recent demolition of structures at the Trade Fair Complex was targeted at a particular ethnic group, stressing that the exercise was strictly in line with urban planning and safety regulations.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Thursday, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, explained that the government was only carrying out its statutory duties.
“That is not true. We have carried out similar exercises in Owode Onirin, Idumota, and Ikeja. It has no ethnic correlation whatsoever. The fact is that we just have to do our work. There is nothing ethnic here; it is purely technical,” Oluyinka stated.
According to him, several structures within the Trade Fair Complex were erected without the required statutory approvals, with many failing to meet basic safety standards. He added that occupants had been given more than enough notice before the demolition commenced.
“The facts are clear; when you are in a place, you must live by the law of that place. It is as simple as that,” he emphasized.
Oluyinka recalled that as far back as March 2024, officials who attempted to serve enforcement notices at the complex were harassed and even detained for several hours before police intervention secured their release. He noted that similar incidents occurred again this year, questioning what further notice defaulters were expecting.
He further blamed the Trade Fair Management for worsening the situation by leasing land to third parties who failed to comply with planning rules. He lamented the poor state of infrastructure at the complex, describing it as unacceptable.
“It’s a shame we allowed our Trade Fair to get to that extent. Refuse disposal is terrible, drainages are blocked, walkways are dilapidated, and sewage systems are in disrepair. They should even be happy we are there to sanitise the place because that is our responsibility. We cannot allow it to continue,” Oluyinka stressed.
The demolition exercise, which commenced on September 25, was jointly carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in collaboration with the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Urban Renewal Agency, and the Physical Planning Permit Authority.
