Residents of Magodo GRA Phase 2 have petitioned Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, urging him to halt an ongoing construction project on a landlocked gorge within the estate, warning it poses serious threats to lives, property, and the environment.
In a “Save Our Souls” appeal signed by its Chairman, Mr. Niyi Odusi, the Magodo Residents Association (MRA) described the development as “potentially hazardous” and called for urgent government intervention.
According to the association, the site in question was designated in the estate’s master plan as a natural stormwater collection point and plays a critical role in flood prevention.
“The wetland, among other ecological benefits, serves as a natural storm collector and flood control container for all stormwater and flash floods from Agidingbi, Ikeja, Ogba, Alausa, etc. It is also the singular floodplain that has shielded Magodo from soil erosion, flooding, and flood-related diseases and disasters over the decades,” MRA stated.
The residents alleged that the project is being pursued by a private developer with backing from officials of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning, warning that it could disrupt the estate’s ecosystem and compromise its infrastructure.
“Any attempt to distort this natural setting is not only ill-advised but could trigger catastrophic ecological consequences,” the association warned.
“Our concern is that developers, aided by top officials of Lagos State Physical Planning, have decided to build in the gorge and are bent on distorting the natural setting and peace of our environment at the expense of existing properly situated properties, infrastructural conveniences, and thereby cause ecological distortions in an otherwise natural and stable space. Our suspicion is that there may be individuals within these agencies in cahoots with this developer.”
MRA said repeated objections to relevant government agencies including a formal letter submitted in April were ignored.
They expressed shock at the commencement of demolition and excavation works on the site, allegedly under armed security protection, which they say have already damaged surrounding properties and destabilised protective vegetation.
To avert what they called an “avoidable disaster,” the association urged Governor Sanwo-Olu to issue an immediate stop-work order, review the original master plan, restore the gorge’s natural setting, and ensure adequate infrastructure if any development is to proceed.
While commending the Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Tokunbo Wahab, for championing environmental preservation and praising Sanwo-Olu’s broader efforts to protect Lagos’ ecosystem, the residents stressed that “urgent intervention is now necessary to safeguard the safety, security, and quality of life in Magodo GRA Phase 2.”
