Osun State Government has demolished about 30 buildings constructed on waterways in a bid to avert flooding.

The state government revealed that the exercise targeted structures located in swampy areas and along riverbanks, which had been identified as potential hazards during heavy rainfall.

The action is coming following alerts issued by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMET.

Confirming the demolition on Sunday, the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Mayowa Adejoorin, noted that it was part of the government’s flood prevention strategy across the state.

Adejoorin said, “In Osogbo, we have about 15 structures that we removed, also in Ile-Ife about six, Ilesa six and in other towns. This is to ensure the safety of the residents of the state.”

He explained that before the demolition, affected property owners had been issued warnings and ultimatums to remove the illegal structures, but some failed to comply.

“We have taken proactive steps to ameliorate imminent flooding in the state following the prediction of NiMET.

“We started dredging our waterways last December and have cleared refuse dumped in them to prevent blockages,” he said.

He stressed that safety and preservation of lives remained a top priority for the administration.

“Where we have illegal structures, we give them notice to remove them and after the notice, if it is not removed, we demolish it,” he added.