By Chidimma Okwara,
A massive demolition exercise carried out by the Lagos State Government at the popular Trade Fair Complex in Ojo has sparked outrage and lamentation among traders. The operation, which commenced on Thursday, September 25, 2025, saw over 19 multi-million naira buildings at the New Mandela Plaza reduced to rubble.
The demolition was carried out under tight security, with convoys of trucks from the Lagos State Task Force, Rapid Response Squad, and other tactical teams stationed around the plaza. Stern-looking officers restricted access to the premises and dispersed traders who attempted to record the operation.
A visibly agitated plaza owner, who arrived as his shop was being pulled down, shouted from his car that no notice was served before the bulldozers moved in. Several sales representatives also lamented that their bosses’ goods, still locked inside shops, were destroyed along with the buildings.
No fewer than 19 buildings, each valued at over N150 million, were affected. One trader fumed: “If government doesn’t want companies or development here, they should just come out and say it. People have invested their life savings here. Over 19 buildings are in that plaza.”
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The Lagos State Government mobilized a joint team from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), and the Lagos State Task Force, all operating under heavy security presence.
According to statements by the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Jubril Gawat, the operation was necessary to enforce physical planning laws and curb urban disorder. The targeted structures were cited for:
Lack of statutory approvals
Being defective structures, erection on road setbacks and drainage channels, which contributes to the perennial flooding in the metropolis and the government also issued a warning to halt all ongoing construction works within the complex until proper permits are secured, stressing that compliance with state laws is non-negotiable.
Traders’ Outcry: “No Prior Notice”
Chief Magnus Ike, Chief Executive Officer, Magnus Merchandise, a trader watched as his multi-billion-Naira property stood no chance against the bulldozers. He insisted he had federal approval for the structure: “Honestly, I have not been served any notice from the Lagos State Government whatsoever. The only notices we get here are from the Federal Government, and we comply. This building was inspected. Even the Ministry of Environment has been here. If there is any problem, the proper thing is to notify us. You don’t just let people borrow bank money, take loans, and then crush their investment overnight.”
Dismissing claim that his property sat on a canal, he gestured around: “Look for yourself, there is no canal here. Whatever their reason is, due process demands notice. None was given.”
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The demolition left scores of traders distraught, many of whom claimed they were not served adequate or prior notice before the bulldozers moved in.
- Traders estimated that each of the 19 demolished buildings was valued at over ₦150 million, representing the life savings and heavy investments of numerous business owners. Goods and property locked inside the shops were destroyed along with the structures.
- Several plaza owners, including Chief Magnus Ike, Chief Executive Officer of Magnus Merchandise, vehemently maintained that their properties had been developed with Federal Government approval, arguing that they were only subject to notices from the Federal authorities that manage the complex.
- raders insisted that while the government has the right to enforce laws, due process requires written notice, which they claimed was never provided before the security teams sealed off the area and began demolition.
The incident underscores the persistent tension between the Lagos State Government’s drive to modernize urban planning and the enforcement challenges in the state’s chaotic and congested commercial hubs. Security operatives remain on the ground to prevent any breakdown of law and order following the massive destruction of property.
