Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central and former National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), has strongly criticized the recent demolitions at the Trade Fair Complex in Lagos, describing them as illegal and outside the jurisdiction of the Lagos State Government.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Umeh said the actions of the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning amounted to “a clear breach of the law and an affront to due process.”
“Nigeria is governed by laws and the Constitution. I’m disappointed that the Commissioner for Physical Planning in Lagos State went on air to justify an illegal action,” he stated.
According to Umeh, the Trade Fair Complex is a federal property under the management of the Federal Government through the Trade Fair Management Board, and therefore does not fall under the control of the Lagos State Government.
“The Trade Fair Complex is a federal establishment where the Lagos State Government moved in with heavy machinery to destroy people’s properties and investments without justification,” he said. “Federal lands are managed by federal agencies, not state governments. Such properties are recorded in the Federal Land Registry in Ikoyi, not the Lagos Land Registry in Alausa.”
Umeh, a fellow of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers, emphasized that the Lagos State Government had no authority to act on federal land. He explained that the Trade Fair Management Board has always overseen all administrative duties — including development approvals, property rates, and ground rent — since inception.
“The Lagos State Government has never performed any of these functions there until about two weeks ago, when they moved in to demolish buildings on September 25,” he added.
The senator further described the demolitions as an “intrusion,” noting that neither the management board nor traders were given prior notice.
Umeh also dismissed claims that the demolished structures were built on canals or without proper authorization, insisting that all buildings had been duly approved by the Trade Fair Management Board.
