…dismisses ₦700m bribe claim over Ikota demolition
The Lagos State Government has dismissed allegations that officials of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources demanded ₦700m from property owners in Oral Estate, Ikota, to halt ongoing demolitions in the area.
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, described the claim made in a viral video circulating on social media as false, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to blackmail the government.
In the video, a woman alleged that the ministry initially requested ₦1 billion, later reducing it to ₦700 million, to stop the demolition exercise. She claimed, “We had an agreement that my estate will pay ₦1 billion for sheet piling, which ended in ₦700 million.”
Reacting in a statement posted on his verified social media handles on Sunday, Wahab denied the allegations, saying neither he nor any ministry official had solicited or received any payment “whether ₦1 billion, ₦700 million, or a single kobo.”
“This propaganda is a dangerous distraction from our critical mission to prevent flooding and protect Lagos residents,” Wahab stated.
He emphasised that the clearing of drainage setbacks and canals was a public safety operation, not subject to negotiation or financial inducement, adding that demolition of illegal structures would continue as planned.
The commissioner further disclosed that the state would pursue legal action against those spreading defamatory claims, insisting that the individual behind the video must “provide proof to the appropriate authorities.”
Ongoing enforcement in Ikota and nearby estates has seen the removal of buildings erected on river setbacks and drainage channels, part of the state’s wider flood prevention efforts.
Wahab also warned residents against making payments to intermediaries or touts claiming to have influence over enforcement exercises.
“No one should pay a kobo to any person to obstruct statutory enforcement,” he cautioned.
