Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Edo State Development and Building Control Agency has intensified efforts to regulate physical development across the state, demolishing 500 illegal shanties in the Ugbor and Etete areas of the Government Reservation Area in Benin City. The demolition drive, which also targeted makeshift structures erected under high‑tension power lines, forms part of a wider enforcement campaign designed to enforce building standards, promote safe and orderly urban growth, and prevent environmental hazards.
Speaking at a press briefing in Benin City on Wednesday, the General Manager of the agency, Igabali Darlington, confirmed that over 500 illegal shanties were removed in the Ugbor axis alone, while structures housing more than 2,000 persons — including makeshift buildings, factories, and churches — were cleared from beneath power cables in the Etete area. “The enforcement exercise is part of a wider measure to ensure compliance with building standards and promote safe, orderly urban growth in line with the state’s development agenda,” Darlington said.
The demolition drive reflects a broader strategy to restore planning discipline in a state where rapid, unregulated construction has often taken precedence over safety and legality. Established by a 2022 state law, the Edo State Development and Building Control Agency is responsible for overseeing building approvals and monitoring construction activities to ensure adherence to approved plans and regulatory codes across the state. Its mandate extends beyond Benin City to Edo Central and Edo North senatorial districts, as part of a statewide compliance framework.
Darlington revealed that upon assuming office, the agency inherited a system plagued by low public trust and poor compliance levels. “When we assumed office, we met a system plagued by low public trust and poor compliance, with fewer than 100 registered building plans monthly, despite over 500 ongoing constructions within the same period,” he said. Reforms introduced by the agency, he noted, have led to a more than 200 per cent increase in registered building plans monthly, driven by renewed public confidence and ongoing reforms. “We are optimistic of reaching between 500 and 1,000 approvals monthly,” he stated.
The agency has also created an opportunity for property owners without approvals to regularise their documentation. “Proper documentation enhances property value and ensures safety,” Darlington said, stressing that proper documentation remains essential for urban safety, environmental protection, and sustainable infrastructure planning. However, he also lamented resistance from some communities that has hindered enforcement efforts.
The demolitions targeted not only informal shanties but also unsafe buildings and structures erected without approved planning permissions, many of which violated existing building regulations. The clearance of structures under power lines in Etete was particularly significant, highlighting the public safety risks posed by construction in high‑risk zones where buildings had been erected directly beneath electricity transmission cables. Occupants of those structures faced the risk of electrocution, fire outbreaks, and other hazards that could have endangered entire neighbourhoods.
The enforcement campaign aligns with the administration’s SHINE agenda, particularly in the areas of infrastructure and sustainable development. Darlington explained that enforcement efforts are not limited to Benin City but extend to Edo Central and Edo North senatorial districts, as part of a statewide compliance framework. The governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, has separately overseen demolitions of properties allegedly linked to criminal activity, including residential buildings used as hideouts by cult members and suspected kidnappers.
While the latest demolitions focused on regulatory compliance and public safety, the government has also taken steps to address the grievances of property owners who lost their homes in earlier clearance exercises. In January 2026, Okpebholo returned 2,950 plots of land to 1,550 persons whose properties were demolished in earlier campaigns under the previous administration. That gesture recognised the social cost of urban renewal and sought to rebuild trust between the state and affected communities. However, Wednesday’s demolition drive in Ugbor and Etete underscores that the government will continue to enforce building regulations regardless of the economic status of the occupants.
Darlington stated that political interference has been minimal, stressing that the administration remains committed to enforcing regulations in the interest of environmental safety and urban order. The agency’s approach, he said, has been to combine enforcement with regularisation, giving property owners an opportunity to obtain proper approvals rather than face immediate destruction. Still, resistance from some communities remains a challenge, and the agency has not ruled out further demolitions in other parts of the state.
The demolition of 500 illegal structures is one of the largest single enforcement actions by the agency since it began operations. It sends a clear signal that the state government intends to break the cycle of impunity that has allowed haphazard construction to thrive. For property developers and residents, the message is unambiguous: unapproved buildings will not be tolerated, and the government will not wait for disaster to strike before acting to prevent it.
Darlington said the agency’s recent successes have demonstrated that public trust can be rebuilt through transparency, consistency, and a willingness to work with property owners to regularise their status. The challenge now is to maintain the momentum while ensuring that affected communities are not left without recourse. Whether the government will extend its regularisation programme to those whose structures were demolished on Wednesday remains unclear, but the agency has made it clear that enforcement will continue, and that urban order will be restored, one shanty at a time.
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