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Kalu Urges Tinubu To Stop Sanwo-Olu From Demolishing Igbo Properties In Lagos

ByTitilope Adako

PublishedOctober 4, 2025

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to prevail on Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to stop demolishing property belonging to the Igbo community that lack proper documentation.

Kalu made the plea on Friday during Tinubu’s visit to Abia State, saying the demolitions had caused great pain to many of his kinsmen in Lagos.

He said, “The destruction and demolition of the houses and offices of our brothers in Lagos make our hearts bleed. Mr President, for some of us who have not gotten the right documents, my plea to you is to appeal to the governor of Lagos State to keep accommodating our brothers and allow them to rectify their documents instead of destroying their properties.”

The Deputy Speaker thanked the President for his support to Abia State and the South-East region, while urging him to facilitate the construction of a seaport in the area to boost trade and commerce.

“As Abians, I want to thank you for what you are doing in our state through our governor and across the South-East. But it is about time, Mr President, that we have another port in the South-East. South-Easterners are traders, and we need a port to enhance our trading activities,” Kalu added.

Efforts to reach the Lagos State Governor’s spokesperson, Gboyega Akosile, were unsuccessful as calls to his mobile phone rang out, and a WhatsApp message sent to him was not replied to as of press time.

Similarly, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, had yet to respond to a message sent to his phone on Saturday.

Kalu’s plea followed recent demolitions of structures in Lagos built without necessary approvals.

In August, the Lagos State Government identified 176 illegal estate developments, mainly in the Eti-Osa, Ajah, Ibeju-Lekki, and Epe areas, and gave owners 21 days to obtain layout approvals.

“These estates, deemed illegal due to their failure to obtain layout approvals from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, were listed in a document published by the Ministry,” a government statement read.

Titilope Adako

Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.