In a dramatic development that has raised questions over compliance with planning regulations in Lagos State, the Deputy Governor, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, was locked out of a controversial construction site in Osborne Foreshore Phase II Estate, Ikoyi, on Saturday by Kenshad International Ltd, a developer accused by residents of alleged planning violations and environmental infractions.
Hamzat, accompanied by a high-powered delegation of government officials and political leaders, waited for more than 30 minutes at the entrance to the development named Abba Court on Mahogany Close, but the gates remained shut. The incident occurred during a visit prompted by complaints from residents, who accused the developer of engaging in unauthorised activities they said could threaten the safety and environmental integrity of the estate.
“Why did he refuse to allow the Deputy Governor and his team in if he has nothing to hide?” a resident asked, expressing suspicion over the incident. The Deputy Governor expressed displeasure over the developer’s conduct and assured residents that the Lagos State Government would investigate the complaints.
At a meeting with Hamzat tagged “Osborne Phase II Residents and Public Leaders Dialogue,” residents accused Kenshad International Ltd of constructing beneath high-tension electricity lines, constructing slabs over a canal, and carrying out sand-filling activities that have narrowed the water outlets in the estate.
They warned that the canal obstruction could compromise drainage and increase flooding risks, with potentially serious consequences for residents and neighbouring areas. The residents also alleged that the developer created an unauthorised back gate through which thugs were brought into the estate to intimidate those who questioned its activities.
They also accused the developer of using soldiers, police and unscrupulous officials of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to harass and intimidate them. They called on the state government to investigate the allegations against Kenshad International and its owner, Ken Ukaoha, and take appropriate action.
The residents further alleged that the developer had relied on a purported joint-venture arrangement with the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to justify its activities. They urged the Lagos State Government to examine the arrangement and establish whether the project has complied with applicable environmental and safety requirements.