Fresh concerns have emerged across the Ajah-Lekki-Eleko axis of Lagos following reports that several residential and commercial properties marked by government officials may be demolished for a proposed electricity infrastructure project in Eleko community.
The development has sparked rumours of an impending protest by residents.
The threat was however downplayed by a resident and community stakeholder who insisted that affected property owners were not mobilising for confrontation but were instead preparing for engagement with government authorities.
Speaking anonymously during a telephone interview on Monday, the respondent said residents recently received official communication indicating that the markings on affected buildings were connected to plans to install a major power line to improve electricity supply to Eleko and adjoining communities.
“The project the government was marking our houses for is a laudable project,” the source said. They want to supply electricity to Eleko community. We don’t have problems with that because everybody wants development.”
The source explained that while residents were not opposed to infrastructure expansion, many property owners were worried about the implications of the planned demolitions, especially for families and businesses that invested heavily in the area.
“We are not protesting. We are only organising ourselves to meet the government and dialogue with them,” the respondent stated.
“You cannot just tell somebody to remove his house when the person has done due diligence, secured approvals and, in some cases, obtained Certificates of Occupancy or Governor’s Consent.”
The source further disclosed that properties allegedly affected by the markings include residential estates, commercial buildings and business premises.
According to the respondent, several government agencies are believed to be connected to the exercise, including the Lagos State Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning.
The clarification comes amid growing speculation that the demolition notices were linked to plans for a railway corridor expected to complement ongoing infrastructure projects around the Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
However, the source dismissed the claims, insisting that the official letter shown to residents specifically referred to as a power transmission project and not railway construction.
“That railway information is what people are saying outside,” the source explained. “The letter they gave to us mentioned power lines to Eleko.”
The latest development has revived memories of previous demolitions and displacement exercises carried out in parts of Lagos during major infrastructure projects.
In 2024, several property owners and businesses were displaced during the construction of Section One of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a flagship federal road project championed by the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
The demolition exercise along the coastal corridor generated widespread controversy after residents and investors complained about inadequate compensation, short notices and the destruction of businesses worth billions of naira.
Among affected landmarks during the coastal road exercise were residential properties, hospitality businesses and leisure investments situated around the Okun-Ajah and Landmark Beach areas of Lagos.
Although the federal government defended the demolitions as necessary for national development and infrastructure expansion, even as critics argued that many investors suffered avoidable losses despite possessing valid land documents and approvals.
However, when contacted the Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, requested for pictures of the marked structure for him to see the seal on it and know the government agency involved, whether it is the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) or the Lagos eGIS (Electronic Geographic Information System).
He said with that he can get the details before commenting on behalf of the government.
