The Lagos State Government has moved to clear shanties and other makeshift structures built beneath high-tension electricity lines in Ikola, Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, following a deadly communal clash that left four men dead.
The controlled demolition is being carried out by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), in collaboration with the Lagos State Police Command and the Rapid Response Squad.
The government said the operation was necessary to tackle the serious safety risks posed by structures erected within the statutory right-of-way of high-voltage transmission lines.
LASEMA Permanent Secretary, Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the recent clash between members of the Hausa and Yoruba communities had brought renewed attention to the security and environmental challenges in the area.
He said the extensive informal settlements beneath the power lines created what he described as a grave danger to residents, exposing them to possible electrocution, fire outbreaks and structural collapse.
Following the unrest, emergency and security personnel were deployed to Ikola to restore order and protect lives and property.
LASEMA said it later commenced the demolition after giving affected residents adequate notice to evacuate and remove their belongings.
According to the agency, residents were given ample time to leave the affected structures and recover their personal possessions before the operation began.
Heavy-duty recovery equipment was subsequently deployed to pull down structures located within the designated right-of-way of the high-voltage power lines.
The state government stressed that the exercise was not targeted at any ethnic group or community, but at structures it considered dangerous to everyone living in the area.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the government recognised residents’ need for shelter and livelihood but insisted that these could not come at the expense of human lives.
The demolition came just two days after violence erupted at Power Line Bus Stop in Ikola, leaving four adult men dead.
The Thursday incident reportedly began with a disagreement before escalating into a communal clash.
Several other people were injured, while some makeshift structures were also reportedly destroyed during the violence.
The Lagos State Police Command subsequently said it had restored calm in the area.
LASEMA said personnel involved in the demolition were safe and that the situation remained calm and under control.
The state government also promised to continue engaging community leaders, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to prevent further violence and ensure compliance with urban planning regulations.
Residents and community leaders were urged to cooperate with the exercise, with the government saying the objective was to make Ikola safer, more orderly and less exposed to avoidable loss of lives.I can also make it more punchy and dramatic in a typical Nigerian tabloid front-page style while retaining the factual tone.
