Olusegun Adeyemo
Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, has firmly denied allegations that the ministry demanded a bribe to halt the demolition of properties at Oral Estate, Ikota.
The denial follows a viral video in which a woman claimed that Wahab and ministry officials initially requested ₦1 billion, later agreeing to ₦700 million, purportedly to suspend the demolition exercise in the estate.
In the video, the woman said, “Thank God for today. We have peace of mind. We’re not hearing an excavator tearing people’s houses down, people crying. The Commissioner, Ministry of Environment came and we had an agreement that my estate is going to pay N1 billion for shit piling. It ended in N700 million for shit piling. My estate is trying to gather the money and give them this month.”
Reacting via his official social media pages on Sunday, Wahab described the allegations as entirely false and an attempt to smear the ministry’s ongoing enforcement drive to clear drainage channels and prevent flooding.
“My attention has been drawn to a circulating video containing false and malicious allegations that the Ministry demanded money from property owners to pause the ongoing removal of structures on drainage setbacks at Oral Estate, Ikota,” Wahab said.
He added, “Neither I nor any official from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources has ever requested nor received any payment—₦1 billion, ₦700 million, or a single kobo—from any property owner.”
Wahab emphasized that the demolition operations are based on the need to enforce environmental regulations and maintain public safety, not subject to negotiation or financial settlement.
“This propaganda is a dangerous distraction from our critical mission to prevent flooding and protect the majority of Lagosians,” he said, affirming that demolitions have not been paused for any reason.
The commissioner further stated that the ministry will pursue legal action against those behind the allegations.
“We shall be pursuing this matter legally, and the individual behind these claims will be required to provide proof to the appropriate authorities,” Wahab declared.
The Environment Ministry has also reiterated its warning to residents not to engage intermediaries or make payments in an attempt to obstruct statutory enforcement.
Meanwhile, demolition efforts continue in Ikota and surrounding areas, where structures built on drainage paths and river setbacks are being removed as part of the state’s flood prevention campaign.