FG demolishes 22 illegal structures under Iddo bridge, uncovers N32 million ‘illegal rent scheme’

• The national authorities issued a discontinue announcement to amerciable occupants nether the Iddo Bridge, Lagos, past year
• This was to alteration the contractor, Julius Berger Nigeria, to commence reconstruction enactment to code information concerns and structural issues
• One twelvemonth later, the authorities has present demolished the amerciable structures, uncovering a immense amerciable rent strategy taking spot there

Legit.ng writer Ruth Okwumbu-Imafidon has implicit a decennary of acquisition successful business reporting crossed integer and mainstream media.

Twenty 2 amerciable structures nether the Iddo Bridge successful Lagos State person been demolished by the national authorities of Nigeria.

The Ministry of Works gave the demolition order, and the cognition was carried connected Monday, 26 May 2025.

Federal Minister of Works, Engineer Dave Umahi, conducted an inspection of the span on with a squad of structural engineers and representatives from a notable operation firm, Julius Berger Nigeria, connected Sunday, 25 May 2025.

The Minister stressed that the authorities would prioritise the information of Nigerians implicit a fewer people's nett motives. Photo credit: Umahi
Source: Getty Images

Speaking aft the inspection, Umahi explained that the Iddo Bridge was damaged by occurrence owed to unlawful concern and amerciable activities beneath it, but people converted the underpass into places of residence and businesses.

He said:

“People person converted the underpass into shops, warehouses, and adjacent residential areas. These activities person caused important damage, to the grade that Julius Berger has advised that the span indispensable beryllium wholly demolished and reconstructed.”

Federal Government defies protests from residents

The occupants of the demolished operation attempted to enactment up immoderate absorption to the demolition, claiming that the substance was earlier the court.

However, the curate insisted that the lives of Lagosians were much important than immoderate businesses the occupants were doing, and directed the Federal Controller of Works successful Lagos State, Olukorede Kesha, to guarantee the demolition of each amerciable structures nether the span earlier the adjacent of concern connected Monday, May 26.

Umahi stressed that the bridge’s structural integrity had been dangerously compromised, and allowing the occupants to proceed their businesses was an enactment that could not beryllium entertained.

He added that immoderate of the occupants of the shops nether the span were dealing successful chemicals, and this led to a occurrence outbreak a fewer years ago, weakening the bridge’s enactment structure.

He said:

“This is astir redeeming lives. We are not present to punish anyone. The Iddo Bridge has been severely damaged by amerciable shops, warehouses, and adjacent homes constructed underneath it. Some parts person been burnt; others person been deed by trucks. We can’t let this to continue. When span experts archer you it needs to beryllium pulled down, that’s not a tiny warning; it’s a reddish flag.”

Minister mentions the adjacent 2 locations

Engineer Umahi noted that determination are respective different locations successful Lagos State wherever structural integrity had been compromised by amerciable occupation, and radical prioritising nett implicit safety.

He mentioned the Cowry Bridge, much commonly known arsenic Falomo Bridge, and the Independence Bridge arsenic different locations wherever information had been compromised.

“This is simply a life-saving intervention. The harm is clear—burnt sections, bent beams, collisions from trucks owed to debased clearance. Enough is enough” , helium said.

Recall that the Lagos State authorities carried retired a similar demolition of amerciable structures and shanties astatine Apongbon Bridge, and connected the setback country of Savage, Elegbata, and Bombata drainage channels earlier this year.

FG uncovers N32 cardinal amerciable rent scheme

In the people of the demolition, an amerciable rent strategy has been uncovered nether the Iddo Bridge. The Guardian reports that the 22 occupants were paying an yearly rent of N1.6 cardinal each to an unidentified “landlord.”

This amounts to astir N32.2 cardinal yearly rent paid to usage the amerciable space.

One of the occupants who has present been displaced told journalists that aft the authorities issued them a discontinue announcement successful 2024, the landlord had assured them that the issues had been resolved and they could proceed utilizing the compartments.

Lagos State authorities is besides taking down amerciable structures crossed the state. Photo credit: Nurphoto, Pius Utomi Ekpei
Source: Getty Images

“They gave america announcement to permission past twelvemonth (2024), but we continued to usage the spot aft promises from the idiosyncratic who rented it retired that we should not worry. It is imaginable that this continued owed to a alteration successful leadership,” helium lamented.

No 1 has been capable to place the landlord oregon managers of the compartments.

Lagos State begins demolition of amerciable structures

In related news, the Lagos State Government has commenced demolition of amerciable structures successful respective locations.

Legit.ng reported that the authorities had fixed residents a 90-day amnesty play to regularise their properties wherever applicable oregon determination out.

The demolition workout started astatine Ogudu GRA and included structures that compromised nationalist safety, unapproved structures, and others that ran afoul of the Lagos authorities gathering regulations.

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Source: Legit.ng