Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has condemned the recent demolition exercise at the Lagos Trade Fair Complex, describing it as “illegal” and a violation of federal jurisdiction.
Speaking on Monday, Umeh faulted the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning for what he called an “unlawful exercise of power,” insisting that the Trade Fair Complex remains a federal establishment under the control of the Federal Government.
“The Trade Fair Complex is federal land managed by the Trade Fair Management Board. What the Lagos State Government did was an affront and a breach of the law,” he said.
Umeh, a fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, explained that federal lands in Lagos are documented in the Federal Land Registry in Ikoyi, not in the Alausa registry controlled by the state.
He accused Lagos authorities of destroying traders’ properties without prior notice or justification. “The Lagos State Government moved in with heavy machines to destroy people’s investments and buildings without notice. Even the traders were not informed or queried over anything,” he added.
The senator dismissed claims that the affected buildings encroached on canals or drainage paths, maintaining that all structures were duly approved by the Trade Fair Management Board.
He urged the state government to respect legal boundaries and federal ownership, warning that such “intrusions” undermine investor confidence and the rule of law.
