Lagos LG chairman denies erecting disputed boundary signboard

David Odunmbaku. Photo credit: Ojodu LCDA

The Chairman of Ojodu Local Council Development Area, Lagos State, David Odunmbaku, has denied allegations that he erected a boundary signboard bearing the inscription ‘Welcome to Lagos’ at the disputed Yakoyo area along Odozie-Yakoyo Road.

Odunmbaku said the signboard was installed by the Lagos State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development following a joint boundary reconnaissance exercise involving officials from Lagos and Ogun states.

He was reacting to allegations by the Chairman of Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, Idris Kusimo, who accused him of erecting the signboard at the Yakoyo end of the road, insisting that the area belongs to Ogun State.

In a statement obtained by PUNCH Online on Thursday, responding to the allegation, Odunmbaku described the accusation as misleading, maintaining that the installation of boundary markers was not the responsibility of the Ojodu LCDA.

“We wish to state categorically that the claim by the Chairman of Ifo Local Government, Hon. Idris Kusimo, tagging the Executive Chairman of Ojodu LCDA, Hon. David Odunmbaku, as the mastermind of the boundary board installation is incorrect and misleading,” the statement read.

It explained that the boundary exercise was coordinated by the directors of boundary matters in both states, who were expected to conduct an on-the-ground assessment of the disputed area.

According to the statement, the Ogun State Director of Boundary Matters failed to present a boundary map during the exercise but instead submitted an aerial map, which was rejected by the Lagos team for allegedly lacking the coordinates required to establish the boundary.

The council said a ground reconnaissance exercise was subsequently conducted last year in the presence of relevant stakeholders, during which state boundary beacons were identified.

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It added that the exercise established that the disputed territory extended to Association Avenue in Yakoyo, while a stream served as the natural boundary separating Ojodu from Alagbole.

The statement said the council’s position was supported by its geo-referenced boundary map, which it described as evidence of the established delineation.

It further disclosed that the Lagos State Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development accepted the outcome of the exercise and subsequently installed the boundary signboard on October 20, 2026.

“Eventually, the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development recognised and aligned with the outcome of the exercise. In line with the established points mapped out earlier, the Department of Boundary Matters in the ministry, on 20th October, 2026, erected a boundary board for clarity,” it added.

The council also alleged that the signboard had repeatedly been removed by individuals suspected to be from Ifo Local Government.

It said the incidents had been reported to the Lagos State Government through the relevant ministry for necessary action, adding that it was awaiting further directives.

The dispute has brought renewed attention to the boundary disagreement between communities in Lagos and Ogun states over the ownership of the Yakoyo area.