The Lagos State Government has served contravention notice to property owners along the corridor of Shoreline Estate, Onikoyi Estate, Park View, and Banana Island whose properties fall within channel setbacks.
The government issued a seven-day ultimatum to house owners along the corridor of the state to remove their fences encroaching on drainage channels.
Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, stated this over the weekend while addressing newsmen after an inspection of some areas in Ikoyi, including the State House, Dodan Barracks.
He said most structures in the areas did not observe the standard three metres required by law for the setback of secondary collector drains.
“On investigation, we found out that the first property situated along Onikoyi/ Banana island collector situated inside Onikoyi Estate left 2.5metre for the drainage setback and for us to have a balanced situation we will magnanimously adopt 2.5metre which is smaller than the 3metre required by law,” he said, according to a statement by a spokesperson for the ministry, Kunle Adeshina.
The commissioner added that the property owners and residents along the aforementioned collector drain would be given the next seven days to move their fences on both sides of the channel while observing the 2.5metre drainage setback, saying enforcement would commence immediately after expiration of the mandatory notice.
The commissioner advised property owners and residents to voluntarily move the fences by themselves before the commencement of enforcement saying, if they fail to do so and allow Government to use tax payers funds to enforce, property owners would be surcharged for the expenses incurred.