Lagos State Government has given residents living in its state-owned housing estates a four-month deadline to remove all illegal structures and building extensions that violate approved estate plans.
According to the statement by the Lagos State government, the directive was issued by the Lagos State Ministry of Housing, which warned that any structure built outside the approved layout of the estates, must be removed within the stipulated period or face enforcement action by the government.
During a recent stakeholders’ meeting at the Alausa Secretariat, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abdulhafis Toriola, once again issued the warning.
The session, held in the Ministry’s Conference Room, served as a platform for the Ministry’s management to discuss these concerns with the executives of the Ojokoro Estate Residents Association from Meiran.
He noted that the full scale of the unauthorized building extensions and developments only became obvious to him during a recent inspection of the estate.
“The Ministry will not fold its arms and allow the distortion of the original master plan of any State-owned estate.
“All allottees were duly informed of the rules and regulations governing their properties before allocation, as clearly outlined in the Allottee’s Guide. Any breach of these provisions will attract appropriate sanctions,” the Permanent Secretary stated.
Following the meeting, it was agreed that all recorded violations within the estate must be cleared away within a four-month period.
Toriola further revealed that the ministry had already obtained the required authorization to demolish illegal buildings and start work on restoring the estate to its original, officially approved design and planning specifications.
He clarified that the move was intended to rectify existing issues, bolster security, and upgrade the estate’s overall look, rather than to penalize the homeowners.
The Permanent Secretary also responded to assertions from some residents who claimed they had received permission from the Lagos Building Investment Company for certain modifications to their buildings.
Tosin Olugbile, the Assistant General Manager of the company, refuted those claims, making it clear that no such building modifications had been authorized.
In response, Taiwo Akinde, the Chairman of the Ojokoro Estate Residents Association, voiced his worry regarding the growing number of unauthorized structures appearing throughout the estate.
Furthermore, he affirmed that the residents’ association stands behind the government’s initiative to reorganize and fix the estate.
As part of their ongoing efforts to work with the community, the Ministry’s directors and the Monitoring and Compliance team joined the residents’ association for their general meeting on February 28, 2026.
During the session, residents were briefed on the government’s official stance and the importance of strictly following the estate’s established guidelines.
Reaffirming this position, Toriola stressed that the duty to protect and maintain state-owned housing projects rests on the shoulders of both the government and the residents.
“State-owned housing estates are planned communities developed to specific standards. Any alteration inconsistent with approved plans compromises infrastructure integrity, environmental balance, and public safety,” he stated.
Consequently, the Lagos State Government has urged residents in all its housing projects to strictly adhere to the set guidelines.
The ministry further cautioned that the government will take appropriate measures to protect public assets and preserve the structural and environmental integrity of its housing estates.
The official social media page of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), 𝕏 to be precise, has been attacked by suspected hackers.
Naija News reports that the DHQ confirmed the development in a statement made public on Saturday, August 15, by the Director of Defence Information, Maj. General Samaila Uba.
He said the body has hence treated the incident as a cybersecurity matter, with technical measures activated to secure the account.
“The Defence Headquarters wishes to inform members of the public, the media and all stakeholders that it has detected an attempted unauthorised compromise of its official X (formerly Twitter) account.
“The incident is currently being treated as a cybersecurity matter, and appropriate technical measures have been activated to secure the account and prevent further unauthorised access,” the statement noted.
The DHQ urged members of the public to disregard any publication from the account at the moment while ensuring that efforts were ongoing to fully restore control of the official account.
“The Defence Headquarters assures the public that efforts are ongoing to fully restore control of the official account.
“Consequently, members of the public are advised to disregard any suspicious, unauthorised or misleading content that may be posted from the account during this period,” he said.
Uba stressed the DHQ’s committment to maintaining high standards of information security and ensuring that Nigerians continued to receive accurate, timely and credible information on the activities and operations of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
“We appreciate the understanding and vigilance of the public and will provide further updates as necessary,” he said.
He further urged Nigerians to henceforth check its verified accounts on other platforms, including Facebook under the name “Defence Headquarters Nigeria,” Instagram at @defenceheadquarters and its WhatsApp Channel, Defence Headquarters Nigeria for reliable information.
At least seven workers were killed and 13 injured following a landslide that sent water and debris gushing into a tunnel under construction in north India, officials said Friday.
The incident occurred late Thursday in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, where workers were constructing a tunnel for a state-run hydropower project.
At least three workers are still missing, while 19 were rescued from the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation site, the State Disaster Management Authority said in a statement.
Videos shared by local authorities showed rescue workers equipped with head-mounted torches using makeshift rafts to reach the flooded section of the tunnel.
Uttarakhand has been battered by heavy monsoon rains in recent days.
Accidents on large construction sites are common in India, but ecologists say excessive development projects have led to more disasters in the fragile Himalayan areas.
Last month, 20 people working in a tunnel for another state-run hydroelectric project were killed in the remote northeastern state of Sikkim.
In 2023, 41 workers were rescued after being trapped for 17 days inside a tunnel that collapsed in Uttarakhand.
Hundreds of people have been killed in floods and landslides across the country since the start of the annual monsoon season in June.
Experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing the frequency, severity, and impact of the disasters.
The Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers Union has honoured the Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, with the ‘Golden Era Pillar of Critical and Strategic Intelligence for National Development Award’, as part of activities marking its 50th anniversary
RATTAWU conferred the award on Ajayi on Thursday at his office, when the National President of the group, Emeka Kalu, led members to a media/security-critical engagement and strategic partnership meeting for national development in Abuja.
Kalu praised the appointment of Ajayi in 2024 by President Bola Tinubu, describing it as putting “a round peg in a round hole.”
He added that the award was an initiative of the union designed to recognise individuals and institutions that had made outstanding contributions to national development, security, democracy, culture and the growth of Nigeria.
He said, “Your appointment by Mr President demonstrates the importance of placing capable Nigerians with integrity and professional competence in strategic positions of national responsibility.
“The role of the DSS in protecting Nigeria’s national interests, gathering critical intelligence and supporting national security cannot be overemphasised.
“Particularly now that this country is confronted with complex security and emerging technological challenges, appointments like yours are the best ever done by Mr President.
“That is why this union decided to honour you with the Golden Era Pillar of Critical and Strategic Intelligence for National Development Award.”
Responding, the DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, expressed appreciation to the leadership of RATTAWU for the honour.
Ajayi described the recognition as a significant gesture that would further encourage him and the service to remain committed to their responsibilities to the nation.
