Lagos Seals Multiple Illegal Reclamation Projects on Ikota River off Orchid Road

The Lagos State Government over the weekend sealed several illegal reclamation projects and issued stop-work orders on activities narrowing the Ikota River around Partibons Homes Estate and Bee-Forth Estate Phase II off Orchid Road, Lekki.

Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who led the enforcement team, said the action followed reports of individuals reclaiming parts of the river and erecting illegal structures for sale to unsuspecting buyers.

The disclosure was made in a statement posted on the Lagos State Government’s official X account on Monday, where Wahab described the activities as harmful to the ecosystem and a major cause of flooding in the area.

He explained that the illegal reclamation had blocked critical drainage systems, including Systems 156 and 157, which channel stormwater into the lagoon.

“The Lagos State Government over the weekend issued an immediate seal and stop work order for illegal reclamation activities to narrow and reduce the size of the Ikota River around Partibons Homes Estate/Bee-Forth Estate  Phase II off Orchid Road in the Lekki area of the State.  

“The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab gave this directive while speaking with the media after an inspection tour of the area, saying the illegal activities ongoing in the area are heart-wrenching because some individuals have deliberately chosen to destroy the ecosystem provided by nature,” the statement read in part. 

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Wahab stressed that Lagos, being a coastal city bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, lagoons, and rivers, could not entirely prevent flooding but could only mitigate it through resilient and sustainable measures. He warned that the state would not tolerate actions that compromise natural drainage paths and vowed that offenders would face legal sanctions.

• During the enforcement exercise, the government also continued the restoration of the Right of Way along the Ikota River alignment in Oral Estate II, where 17 houses had already been removed for encroachment.
• Wahab was accompanied by the Commissioner for Transportation, Seun Osiyemi, as both ministries jointly inspected environmental infractions along the Lekki-Epe Expressway corridor.

He added that automobile dealers operating along the corridor had been served abatement notices on September 26, 2025, for extending beyond their approved temporary sites under high-tension power lines and encroaching on wetlands, which conflict with the Lagos Green Rail Line project’s master plan.

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The Lagos State Government’s latest enforcement aligns with its flood control and wetland protection strategy. Over the next 24 months, it plans to integrate estate lakes, canals, and pumps into a Blue-Green Network to store and gradually release rainwater, reducing flash floods.

• The plan includes installing flap gates and pumps at tide-sensitive outfalls, restoring canal rights-of-way, and expanding drainage systems. Between 2023 and 2025, maintenance was carried out on 579 km of secondary collectors and 309 km of primary channels, while 218 new channels were awarded for construction.
• The government said EFAG teams have cleared 444 km of drains and restored 40 km of encroached channels. It is also installing debris screens, piloting estate lakes, and enforcing stricter drainage easements to prevent blockages.

These efforts form part of its long-term flood mitigation plan, which prioritizes wetland restoration and updated building rules requiring on-site water retention systems in new developments.