Our actions backed by law – Lagos replies to critics of Trade Fair demolitions

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has said that all actions carried out by the Lagos State Government are backed by the law.

Wahab said this on Monday night via a post on his official X account, in response to critics who condemned the Lagos State Government over the recent demolitions at the Trade Fair Complex.

Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), had condemned the Trade Fair demolitions, describing them as unlawful and beyond the jurisdiction of the Lagos State Government.

Umeh, speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, said the move by the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning was “a clear breach of the law and an affront to due process.”

“The country is governed by laws and the Constitution. I am disappointed that the Commissioner for Physical Planning in Lagos State came on air to justify an illegal action,” he stated.

Umeh said that the Trade Fair Complex is a federal property managed by the Federal Government through the Trade Fair Management Board and, therefore, it is not under the control of Lagos State.

“The Trade Fair Complex is a federal establishment where the Lagos State Government moved in with heavy machinery to destroy people’s properties and investments without justification,” Umeh said.

“Federal lands are managed by federal agencies, not state governments. Such properties are recorded in the Federal Land Registry in Ikoyi, not in the Lagos Land Registry in Alausa.

“The Lagos State Government has never performed any of these duties there until about two weeks ago, when they moved in to demolish buildings on 25 September,” he said, calling the demolition an “intrusion”.

Reacting, Wahab said: “Here in Lagos, every one of our actions is backed by the law, and we stand by it all. We remain committed to enforcing the laws without distraction, irrespective of whose ox is gored!”
Speaking further, the commissioner said that when it comes to Lagos State, every Tom, Dick, and Harry would always want to have an opinion.

Wahab then asked: “Was it illegal when Governor Alex Otti removed contraventions in Abia State? Was it also illegal when Governor Charles Soludo removed contraventions in Anambra?”