The Lagos State Government on Thursday began demolishing illegal developments and defective buildings at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo Local Government Area, a move that has stirred tension among traders and property owners.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Senior Special Assistant on New Media, Jubril Gawat, confirmed the exercise in a statement shared on his official social media handle.

“FLASH: Lagos State Government begins removal of illegal development, structures without statutory approvals, and defective structures — including those built on road setbacks and drainages — in the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo Local Government Area,” Gawat wrote.

The operation was carried out by multiple agencies, including the Office of the Lagos State Urban Development, Ministry of Physical Planning, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), the Office of Infrastructure, members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, and armed security operatives.

However, the demolition has drawn mixed reactions online. Some Nigerians are calling for the government to prosecute officials who allegedly approved the construction of the structures in the first place.

One X user, @KingOfSley, wrote: “Start by punishing those that give approvals for these buildings. You are giving paracetamol to a malaria patient. Tomorrow the same people will approve again, and developers will be victims.”

Another user added: “Taking this down without arresting the person who approved the structure is witch-hunting. Where were all these agencies when the building was at the foundation level?”

The demolition comes less than 24 hours after a two-storey building collapsed at Mangoro Bus Stop in Alimosho, leaving six people injured.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, confirmed that one victim, a 44-year-old resident, sustained fractures and multiple bruises and was rushed to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in stable condition. Five others were taken to a private hospital in the area.

The latest demolition underscores the government’s renewed push to curb illegal developments and prevent future building collapses across the state.