Residents of Magodo Phase II, Lagos, have urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to stop an alleged attempt by developers to construct access roads through the estate to a protected wetland, warning that the proposed development could worsen flooding in surrounding communities.
The Magodo Phase II Residents Association said articulated trucks and heavy-duty equipment had been stationed outside the estate’s Shangisha Gate, raising fears of a possible forced entry and unauthorised construction.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by its chairman, Niyi Odusi, the association called on the Lagos State Government to remove the vehicles and secure the estate’s boundaries.
“The estate is currently under threat. A large number of articulated trucks and heavy-duty equipment are currently stationed outside the Shangisha Gate, ready to make a forceful entry,” the statement said.
The association described the alleged move as a threat to residents’ safety and warned that it could trigger a breakdown of peace in the community.
It also urged the state government to honour assurances it said were given on November 26, 2023, by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Oluyinka Olumide, that access roads would not be created through the estate into the undeveloped land.
The residents argued that the proposed development could undermine Lagos State’s wetland protection policies and increase the risk of flooding across Magodo and neighbouring areas.
They cited comments attributed to the Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who they said had warned of the potential consequences of building on the wetland.
According to the association, Wahab had warned that flooding resulting from construction on the site could make the Isheri-Oshun flooding disaster look like “child’s play”.
