Concerned Citizen Raises Alarm Over Alleged FG-Lagos Clash On Coastal Road
A concerned citizen from Eti-Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State, Ismaila Alimi, has raised the alarm over an alleged confrontation between officials of the Lagos State Government and a Federal Government task force operating along parts of the Lagos Coastal Road.
Alimi, in a statement dated September 10, 2026, alleged that Lagos State officials had attempted to obstruct the activities of the Federal Government task force responsible for the recovery and protection of Federal landed properties and enforcement of the approved setback for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter, warning that the alleged confrontation could have wider implications for relations between the Federal Government and Lagos State.
According to Alimi, officials allegedly involved in the development included CSP Shola Jejeloye of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad; CSP Tayo Akerele of the Lagos State Task Force; Dr Jide Abiodun, Special Adviser to the Governor on eGIS and Urban Development; and Bldr. Omolola Florence Gbaye of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, among others.
He alleged that the situation arose following the Federal Government’s position that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway remained a Federal infrastructure project, with Federal authorities responsible for issues relating to survey coordination, Federal reservations and right-of-way enforcement.
Alimi claimed that on September 4, officials of the Lagos State Government, accompanied by a large contingent of police officers, visited locations around Kuramo, Victoria Island, Mayegun Coastal Road and Ilasan in Eti-Osa, where the Federal task force was carrying out its activities.
He further alleged that the officials searched for the head of the Federal task force, identified as Mr Boomelin, purportedly with the intention of arresting or intimidating him.
He also claimed that personnel attached to the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation were threatened during the incident.
According to him, the Lagos officials allegedly returned to some of the properties on September 7, forcibly entered portions of the land and erected real-estate billboards despite the presence of the Federal task force and its security personnel.
Alimi said the allegations, if established, would constitute more than a conventional land dispute, arguing that they could raise questions about the respective constitutional powers of the Federal and Lagos State governments.
He questioned who authorised the deployment of armed police personnel to properties under Federal protection and who approved the alleged attempt to arrest or intimidate members of the Federal task force.
He also sought clarification over alleged claims by a senior Lagos State official that the Federal Government had no land in Lagos and that Federal land was vested in the state governor.
Alimi said such a position, if accurately reported, required clarification from the relevant authorities.
He explained that the Federal Government’s intervention in the affected areas was reportedly linked to concerns over encroachment, unauthorised allocations, questionable documentation, multiple claims of ownership, fraudulent transactions, land grabbing and alleged poor management of government assets.
He said any suspected irregularities should be investigated and verified through the appropriate authorities rather than being allowed to escalate into confrontation between government institutions.
The concerned citizen therefore urged President Tinubu to intervene to prevent the situation from developing into a broader Federal-State dispute.
Among his demands, Alimi called for the withdrawal of any Lagos State security personnel allegedly deployed to the affected Federal properties and adequate protection for members of the Federal task force and officials of the Surveyor-General of the Federation.
He also urged authorities to suspend further construction, development, occupation, demolition and advertisement activities on the disputed properties pending a proper verification of their status.
Alimi further called for an investigation into the alleged deployment of security personnel against officers operating under Federal authority.
He urged the Surveyor-General of the Federation to conduct a comprehensive verification and demarcation exercise covering the affected properties and the reservations for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
He stressed that Lagos State remained an integral part of Nigeria and should operate within the constitutional and statutory framework governing the relationship between the state and Federal governments.
Alimi said his intervention was aimed at promoting accountability and respect for constitutional authority rather than provoking confrontation with the Lagos State Government.
He appealed to residents and other stakeholders to remain calm while the relevant authorities investigate the allegations and seek a resolution to the dispute.
