COASTAL ROAD: NEW DEMOLITION PLAN SPARKS CONCERN IN LAGOS COMMUNITIES
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By: Balogun Ibrahim
Communities in Ibeju-Lekki Local Government Area, Lagos State, have expressed alarm over reports of a new plan by the Federal Government to enforce a 150-metre setback on both sides of the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, warning that it could destroy long-established ancestral settlements.
During a visit by The Media on Thursday, community leaders said residents were gripped by fear, noting that additional demolitions could trigger unrest among people who had already lost homes and heritage sites for the project.
While praising President Bola Tinubu for initiating what they described as a transformative legacy project, the leaders alleged that repeated realignments of the corridor had already led to the demolition of houses, shrines, and other ancestral landmarks along the route.
They called on the Federal Ministry of Works and the Lagos State Government to provide clear guidance on the project’s alignment and setback rules, urging engagement with affected communities and consideration of waivers for existing settlements.
Representing the affected communities, Chief Adebayo Agbabiaka stated that previous demolition exercises had uprooted entire villages, including multi-storey buildings erected long before any road infrastructure reached the area.
He highlighted that, in earlier years, residents had transported building materials by boat through Epe and carried them into their villages, emphasizing the immense effort invested in developing their communities.
Agbabiaka also criticised the compensation process during past projects, describing the payouts as grossly insufficient.
He said some families received between N9 million and N10 million, an amount he described as insufficient to purchase land in Ibeju-Lekki, let alone cover the cost of relocating entire households.
Agbabiaka added that, although compensation had been paid for crops affected by the coastal road construction, many homeowners were yet to receive payment for demolished buildings.
He explained, “After all these years of suffering and perseverance, officials returned to our communities to mark houses for fresh demolition, claiming to be from the Surveyor-General’s office.
“They marked 150 metres to the right and 150 metres to the left, despite the destruction our communities have already endured. Extending this 150-metre setback will severely impact all our ancestral homes. If we lose them, where will we go?
“We are not asking the government to relocate us, nor are we seeking compensation—because even if we were compensated, where would we go?
“We have been cooperative. The roads are already wide enough; they existed before the coastal road project reached us. We are not opposing anyone; we are only appealing to the government to grant us a waiver and allow us to remain in our homes.”
The Chief Odofin of Opo-Ijebu Kingdom, Kunle Balogun, voiced concerns over the proposed fresh setback for the coastal road project.
“Originally, the coastal road was meant to follow the shoreline, as it has for generations. We commended the President’s initiative because this is a legacy project.
“The problem is that after previous realignments and the destruction of shrines and ancestral homes, they now plan to realign once more.
“If they take 150 metres on each side, what will remain of our communities? We urge the Federal Government to reconsider our situation. We are law-abiding citizens,” he said.
Another resident, Sharahu Ogunyemi, warned that the new setback could effectively erase entire settlements, stressing that the land is communal property and calling for a government waiver for affected residents.
“The 150 metres they intend to take this time would wipe out our community. It is communal land, and we appeal for a waiver. We would be very grateful,” he said.
A source from the Federal Ministry of Works, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed to our correspondent that the markings were carried out by the Office of the Surveyor General of the Federation.
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“They said the marked buildings will not be demolished,” the source explained, adding that the exercise was intended “to make the communities aware that the structures, 150 metres to the right and left, sit on Federal Government land.”
Meanwhile, Sunday Adefarati, Zonal Director of Survey Coordination at OSGOF Lagos, declined to comment when contacted by PUNCH Metro.
“This is a weekend. Official matters cannot be addressed on weekends. Ask tomorrow,” Adefarati said on Sunday.
The Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway is a flagship Federal Government project designed to construct a roughly 700-kilometre road linking Lagos in the South-West to Calabar in the South-South.
The highway is planned to pass through several coastal states, including Ogun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom, before terminating in Cross River State.
However, investors and homeowners along the corridor have raised concerns over what they describe as the destruction of their properties by the government.
Last month, some aggrieved property owners, under the umbrella of Project Affected Persons, voiced fears after allegedly being instructed to vacate buildings located within the 150-metre setback from the high-water mark, warning that failure to comply could result in demolition without adequate compensation or prior notice.
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