The Lagos State Government has intensified safety operations in the Ikola community through the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), in collaboration with the Lagos State Police Command and the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), following recent communal tensions and the discovery of informal settlements located beneath high-tension electricity power lines.
The operation is aimed at protecting residents and preventing further risks associated with the continued occupation of areas directly beneath high-voltage transmission infrastructure.
The State Government said the recent clash between members of the Hausa and Yoruba communities in Ikola brought renewed attention to a more serious public safety concern involving residential structures erected under high-tension power lines.
According to the government, such structures violate established safety standards and expose residents to significant dangers, including electrocution, fire outbreaks and structural hazards.
As part of the ongoing intervention, authorities have commenced controlled demolition of structures located within unsafe areas beneath the high-voltage transmission lines. The exercise is being carried out under the supervision of relevant government agencies and security personnel to ensure that the process is conducted in an orderly and controlled manner.
LASEMA and its partners have also intensified monitoring and emergency preparedness activities within the affected community to minimise potential risks and safeguard lives and property.
The government stressed that the enforcement action is not targeted at any particular ethnic or religious group, but is primarily focused on addressing environmental and public safety concerns and preventing avoidable loss of lives.
Residents have been urged to cooperate with officials carrying out the operation and comply with safety directives issued by the authorities.
The Lagos State Government reiterated its commitment to protecting residents and enforcing regulations designed to prevent human habitation in areas considered dangerous or unsuitable for residential development.
It further called on members of the public to avoid constructing or occupying buildings beneath high-tension power lines, noting that compliance with safety regulations remains essential to protecting lives and ensuring a safer Lagos.
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