Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: Estate tackles minister over demolition of properties

House owners at WinHomes Global Estate in Okun Ajah, Lagos State, have urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the alleged unlawful demolition of the estate by the Federal Ministry of Works.

At a press conference on Wednesday, the Managing Director of the estate, Stella Okengwu, said properties valued at $250 million belonging to a group of diaspora real estate investors and developers were demolished despite not encroaching on the original alignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

According to Mrs Okengwu, the company obtained all relevant documents such as the Certificate of Occupancy, the governor’s consent, and an approved survey plan which showed the state was not under any government acquisition.

Despite their legal standing, Mrs Okengwu said structures in the estate were demolished, and building materials worth millions of naira were destroyed.

Stakeholders at the press conference

“On Thursday, 3rd of October, 2024, I was shocked to discover that HiTech had sent its staff to come and peg our property for demolition without prior notice. I went to brief Mr Femi Falana, SAN and he put a call through to the Minister, where the Minister on his honour promised Mr Femi Falana that he will come to Lagos the upper week to discuss the issues surrounding the pegging.

“To our astonishment on the 5th of October, 2024, the Ministry of Works officials, accompanied by military personnel and Lagos state Taskforce officials, stormed our site and demolished Win Homes property, and also assaulted our personnel on site. After which, they proceeded to remove essential building materials worth Hundreds of Millions claiming they had orders from above to do so.

“We were surprised that the minister of works, Engr. David Umahi, has now done the unimaginable by destroying the properties, investments, and sweat of Nigerians in the diaspora without prior notification, using the name of the president of Nigeria as leverage to cause pain, trauma, and depression to the people in the diaspora after securing all these titles. The Minister’s action has made a complete nonsense of the entire investment,” she stated.

Mrs Okengwu accused the Minister of Works, David Umahi, of favouritism and corruption, urging lawmakers to investigate the allegation.

“I recently learned of an allegation that Ocean Bay residents paid a substantial amount to the ministry officials to divert the coastal road, thus avoiding the demolition of their properties which violated the original alignment.

“We are also calling for an urgent senate committee on works to investigate the corruption allegations within the Federal Ministry of Works to ensure transparency and accountability in Nigeria’s investment landscape,” she stated.

She added the illegal diversion from the old alignment, gazetted by President Tinubu when he was the governor of Lagos State, is destructive to the president’s foreign investment drive.

“We urge the President to make a prompt decision and also to hold his public officials accountable for the damages incurred. The President should also instruct the public holders to cease this action which is the misuse of the president’s immunity as a shield for wrongdoings.”

Mounting Controversy

The Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, a 700km project estimated to cost N15 trillion, triggered controversy after the Mr Umahi flagged off the demolition of buildings on the project’s right of way.

The project, spanning nine coastal states, has been criticised for deviating from the original coastal alignment which was gazetted in 2006, and violating the Public Procurement Act 2007 in its bidding process.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that Lafiaji, another community in the axis, also accused the minister of deviating from the gazetted Lagos-Calabar Coastal highway alignment of 2006 to favour Ocean Bay Estate and other high-end properties.

Despite not encroaching on the government’s right of way, the homes of property owners, mostly retirees, were marked for demolition.

During the third stakeholders’ meeting of the coastal highway project earlier in May, Mr Umahi promised to revert to the gazetted route between Kilometres 16 and 25 to save submarine cables and the Okun-Ajah community.

Mr Umahi said sticking to the old alignment would lead to the demolition of 750 houses, but the new alignment would take down only 490 houses.

“To solve MTN, 2Africa, and Okun-Ajah community (problems), we are diverting completely from the new alignment to the old alignment, and we are rejoining back to our new alignment at Kilometre 25,” Mr Umahi said.

READ ALSO: Lagos Calabar coastal highway: How not to repeat the Lagos-Ibadan expressway saga, By Tunde Ajia

However, the new alignment has been at the centre of contention between residents in Okun Ajah and Lafiaji communities and the ministry.

Residents alleged that properties of law-abiding citizens were being marked for removal while those built on the government’s right of way are protected.

Demolished Buildings at WinHomes