The Lagos State Building Control Agency has advised residents of the Makoko community to vacate buildings situated beneath high-tension power lines due to the extreme dangers of electrocution, fires, and structural damage.

Gbolahan Oki, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, gave the advice in Lagos while addressing journalists on some enforcement exercises.

Mr Oki said the presence of structures under power lines violates physical planning laws and hinders the broader goals of urban planning and environmental sustainability, aiming for a safer, more resilient Lagos.

”Oworonshoki is not the only community affected. Makoko has become a high-risk zone because of the presence of electricity cables over homes and businesses. The agency has engaged stakeholders in the community, including traditional leaders and chairmen, to discuss the dangers of living in buildings under high-tension power lines .

”The high-tension lines transmit electricity at extremely high voltages, and being too close is a serious threat to human life,” he said.

A three-minute video documentary of one of the stakeholder meetings was shown to journalists during the chat.

“All the community leaders agree that the people living under the high-tension lines must leave,” he said.

According to him, the government cannot wait until a tragedy occurs because the lives of citizens are more important than the economic activities in the area.

He stated that the government has conducted several rounds of stakeholder engagement; however, some residents refused to comply, as they believed that politics would hinder enforcement.

“The next time you see us in Makoko, people will claim the government acted suddenly. That is why we are showing you evidence of our meetings with the community before any action is taken,” he said.

Mr Oki urged the media to support the government in sensitising the public, noting that people in other countries live on water in an organised way without staying under power lines.

He added that the state government remained committed to protecting lives, improving the environment, and ensuring sanity in urban planning.

The Lagos government had introduced a building permit amnesty programme in 2024 to help owners of unapproved buildings regularise their documents. The amnesty ran in three phases between May and December 2024. During the period, 18,489 applications were submitted and 8,856 permits were issued.

The government has since begun removing unsafe and unapproved structures, starting with Oworonshoki, and has signalled that Makoko will face similar action to protect lives and restore order.

(NAN)