Hot SourceWale Igbintade
Residents of Ikota and the wider Lekki axis have issued a desperate Save-Our-Souls (SOS) appeal to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, after Tuesday’s torrential rainfall once again turned their neighbourhoods into flood zones, submerging homes, roads, and businesses.
According to eyewitnesses, entire streets were swallowed by water, businesses destroyed, and families forced to wade through waist-deep floods to salvage what they could.
“This is no way to live,” a distraught resident lamented, adding that “Every rainfall is a disaster. We are losing everything while the government watches.”
Residents say the flooding is largely man-made, blaming illegal structures built on canals and drainage channels.
They accused developers of blocking natural waterways and alleged that government agencies have failed to enforce existing planning regulations.
“Until the government restores this area according to the original master plan, the flooding will not stop,” another homeowner said, speaking while standing in knee-deep water.
Urban planning experts confirm that Lagos’ master plan prohibits construction on waterways but warned that enforcement has been weak and sometimes selective.
Many residents alleged that influential developers are protected from sanctions, leaving ordinary Lagosians to suffer the consequences.
The devastation extends beyond property losses. Families are repeatedly displaced, livelihoods are destroyed, and stagnant water heightens the risk of cholera and other waterborne diseases.
Environmental advocates warn that unless urgent action is taken to clear blocked canals and remove illegal encroachments, Lagos is heading for a major public health and humanitarian crisis.
“Every illegal structure is a ticking time bomb for nearby communities once the rains return.
“As Ikota and Lekki residents count their losses yet again, their plea to the Lagos State Government is unambiguous: clear the drains, enforce planning laws, and prevent another rainy season from turning their communities into disaster zones,” one activist stated.
