Residents Worry About Gas Station Near Power Lines in Lagos

Residents and community leaders at Ikorodu High School bus stop in Odongiyan, Sagamu Road, Ikorodu, Lagos State, are worried about a gas station built directly under high-tension power lines. They believe this poses a serious risk to lives and property.

In separate interviews with PUNCH Metro on Monday, the residents called on government agencies to step in and stop a possible disaster.

Tajudeen Ojo, the community head, said officials from the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) told the gas station owner to move it away from the high-tension wires during an inspection last Thursday.

He said, “On Thursday or Friday, LASEPA officials directed that the gas station should be moved backwards. The owner was also instructed to move it away from the high-tension wires, and he agreed to comply. He was also asked to visit their office for proper documentation.”

Ojo explained why the community did not raise the alarm before, even as the structure was almost done. He said residents were not aware the site was turning into a gas station.

He added that the land was previously used for selling cement, so they thought the owner would continue that business. “When the owner started construction, we did not know what he intended to use the site for. They had previously sold bags of cement there, so we assumed they wanted to continue selling cement or iron rods.”

Ojo said they only started objecting when they saw a gas tanker at the site. Kazeem Olasupo, another resident, said his attempt to alert a nearby school about the project led to a fight where he and a community leader were reportedly attacked.

Olasupo said he told the school principal about the dangers of the gas station and encouraged two staff members to join a meeting with the Lagos State Safety Commission. After the meeting, one staff member asked why he was against the business and later told the land allocator where his car was parked.

“When I returned to pick up my car, the husband and wife attacked and beat me. Even the chief Imam of a nearby estate, who intervened to prevent further attacks on me, was also beaten,” he said.

On LASEPA's intervention, Olasupo said the agency asked for the facility’s documents, but the owner had none. “The owner did not have a single regulatory document. He simply established something there without the required documentation,” he said.

He added that LASEPA told the owner to stop work and invited everyone involved to its office for more discussions. Olasupo is worried that just moving the facility back a bit might not fix the danger.

“Even if they move the facility further back, it will still pose a danger,” he said. He also claimed that the land allocator has been intimidating those against the project.

According to him, residents have challenged the landlord about leasing the property for the gas station, especially since the land might be government property.

Bolarinwa Ojo, another resident, said moving the facility a few centimeters would not solve the safety issues since it is right under the high-tension power lines. He said the suggestion to push the structure back came during his last meeting with officials, but he did not know what happened after.

Ojo added that the community did not know about the project earlier because the arrangement was made privately between the landowner and the gas station operator. “In fact, I did not know they were constructing a gas station until the structure had been erected. That was when I became aware of what was happening,” he said.

He stressed that neither he nor the Community Development Association approved the project, noting that the community only stepped in after realizing what kind of business it was and how it could affect them.

Ojo said they would oppose any activity that could harm the community. Meanwhile, Oludare Abolurin, the Ikorodu Coordinator of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, said they are watching the situation closely, especially around safety and environmental issues.

In a statement to PUNCH Metro on Monday, Abolurin said a LASEPA team, led by Engr. Sawyer, inspected the site on Thursday, November 5, 2026. He and the community head were present during the inspection.

He noted that the officials discovered the operators had no regulatory documents, which shocked the inspection team and called for a full investigation. Abolurin also mentioned threats against residents and human rights advocates against the project.

He said disagreements over community issues should be resolved peacefully. Abolurin revealed that the woman involved with the project and her husband were invited to LASEPA’s office in Alausa on Monday, November 9, for further talks.

He said they will keep monitoring the situation and work with authorities to protect residents. “No private commercial interest should be allowed to override established regulatory obligations or the legitimate concerns of a host community,” he added.

At the time of this report, LASEPA's stop-work order was still in effect at the site.