The Surveyor-General of the Federation, Abudulganiyu Adebomehin, has announced a crackdown on illegal shoreline structures in Nigeria. All such buildings will be demolished.

In a statement issued by the Head of Information and Public Relations, Henry David, Adebomehin explained that the Office of the Surveyor-General of the Federation (OSGOF) now operates under the Presidency. He said this move gives the office more powers and responsibilities in managing Nigeria’s shoreline areas.

The Surveyor-General directed that all applications for Certificates of Occupancy, permits, and survey plans along shorelines be suspended. “These requests will remain on hold until they are reviewed and approved by OSGOF,” he said.

He also ordered the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) to submit all past shoreline-related approvals to his office. In addition, he warned that any documents already submitted to other agencies must now be redirected to OSGOF.

Adebomehin criticized some state governments for allocating shoreline land without OSGOF’s involvement. He stressed that such actions go against the law. “The enforcement unit will demolish any illegal structure within the shoreline right of way. This is an executive order. It complies with the Law of the Sea,” he stated. He also emphasized that OSGOF holds the official maps required for shoreline management.

The Surveyor-General praised the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS) and the Association of Private Practising Surveyors of Nigeria (APPSN) for supporting the profession. He assured them of continuous collaboration.

During the visit, NIS Surveyor-General Folakemi Odunewu congratulated Adebomehin on OSGOF’s transition to the Presidency. She presented the institution’s seven-point agenda, which includes digital transformation of the National Secretariat, stronger public relations and advocacy, broader engagement with stakeholders, review of the Survey Coordination Act, development of professional excellence structures, and advocacy for a dedicated Ministry of Surveying and Geoinformatics.

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The council carried out the demolition in February, citing the buildings and equipment as a nuisance and defacing the city’s topography.

At a stakeholders meeting with the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), the sand miners, represented by the Onitsha Sand Miners Association, expressed deep dismay over the demolition. Association President, Chief Chris Mbaegbu, claimed that more than 10 crafts and sand dredgers worth over N30 million each were destroyed, along with buildings worth billions of naira.

Mbaegbu noted that the demolition occurred despite an interlocutory injunction from a court restraining such actions, which he considered contempt of court. He highlighted the devastating impact on over 2,000 individuals who are now jobless due to the demolition’s ripple effect on their dependents.

READ ALSO: Benue Govt Plans Demolition of Property Housing Kidnappers, Cyber Fraudsters

The sand miners urged Governor Chukwuma Soludo to intervene and restore their businesses, noting their contributions through revenue payments to the state government, NIWA, and the Federal Ministry of Mines.

NIWA’s Area Manager for Onitsha, Nicholas Suleiman, clarified during the meeting that NIWA did not sell the land to the sand miners, dispelling social media rumors.

He explained that the miners were tenants to those who acquired the lands from the original landowners. Suleiman emphasized that NIWA controls the 100 meters from the River Niger and grants certifications for mining operations, with revenues shared between the federal, state, and local governments.

READ ALSO: Enugu Widows, Residents in Distress Over Demolition

Responding to the situation, the Secretary of the Onitsha South Local Government Area, Paul Onuachalla, defended the demolition, stating that the local government had warned against overloading tipper vehicles with sand, which damages roads.

He denied committing contempt of court, asserting that the demolition was completed before the court order was received.

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