The entrance and exit gates of Banana Island, an affluent neighbourhood in Lagos State’s Ikoyi area, were shut on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 resulting in heavy traffic congestion around the vicinity.
Reports indicated that the traffic gridlock extended to the Lekki-Ajah corridor and several parts of Ikoyi, leaving commuters stranded for hours.
A video circulating on the social media showed a long queue of vehicles stuck along the road leading to the estate, while some individuals were seen stationed at the gates, preventing movement in and out of the area.
According to the reports, officials from the Federal Ministry of Works visited the estate to enforce the construction of an access road to a new estate development still under construction.
However, residents of Banana Island resisted the move and swiftly contacted the police to prevent any potential breakdown of law and order within the estate.
The resulting gridlock was severe, with many residents and visitors seen walking from Gerard Road into the estate.
Security personnel at the estate struggled to manage the growing crowd gathered at the gates, as tensions remained high.
Reacting, the spokesperson for LABSCA, Adu Ademuyiwa, noted that the claim that their officials are on the ground disrupting activities in the area is unfounded.
He said, “It is not true. Our men are not there. And we have not stopped any residents or visitors from entering their estate on Banana Island. When the time for the demolition of the illegal buildings in the area would be done, we will communicate it appropriately to the public.”
Meanwhile, it was recently reported in the medua that the decision to demolish illegal structures on Banana Island would be followed by the government’s commitment to enforcing urban planning laws and ensuring public safety.
According to the agency’s General Manager, Gbolahan Oki, LASBCA has carried out similar actions in other parts of the state, including Abule Egba, Iya Niba, and Iyana Isheri, where illegal buildings under high-tension lines were removed.
The General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Gbolahan Oki, made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting on Banana Island recently.
He stated that structures found violating building codes, including those under high-tension power lines and within restricted shoreline areas, would be identified and subsequently demolished.
