Lagos Government Cracks Down on Encroachment
Lagos Government Cracks Down on Encroachment: The Lagos State Government has taken a decisive step towards addressing
encroachment on government land in the Òkun Ajah Waterfront scheme,
Eti Osa LGA, by serving contravention notices to over 200 property owners and occupiers.
The affected individuals have been given a seven-day ultimatum to provide
relevant documents and approvals supporting their occupation of the land.
The Commissioner for Waterfront Infrastructure Development,
Yacoob Ekundayo Alebiosu, emphasized that many properties in the
area have illegally encroached on government land, contravening the law.
Alebiosu stressed that the government cannot allow its commonwealth to
be converted into private investments and urged property owners to
voluntarily remove encroaching structures before the ultimatum expires.
Failure to comply will result in the government enforcing the directive,
with the cost of the operation to be recovered from the property owners.
The commissioner assured that the ministry has followed all necessary processes and is now at the final stage of enforcement.
the allocation of plots
He clarified that some individuals have been allocated plots of land
but are unable to take possession due to illegal sales by unknown persons.
The government aims to restore order and ensure that only legitimate
allottees can take possession. Alebiosu warned other illegal occupants in
waterfront schemes across Lagos to regularize their status by obtaining
waterfront clearance from the ministry, emphasizing that Physical
Planning approvals will not be granted without clearance from the Ministry of Waterfront Infrastructure Development.
The government’s move is seen as a significant step towards reclaiming
encroached land, promoting orderly development, and protecting the rights
of legitimate property owners. The ultimatum has sparked a sense
of urgency among affected property owners, who must now take immediate action to avoid enforcement action by the government.