Lagos govt. seals, demolishes Banana Island buildings

The Lagos State Government on Friday demolished a three-storey building under construction, sealed four others and removed fences around new project sites for being without approvals in Banana Island.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr Gbolahan Oki led the enforcement team.

NAN also reports that the team met resistance in some houses but dialogued with some residents before sealing the sites.

NAN further reports that some buildings which were sealed in April where construction works continued were both resealed and toked.

Taking a process of partial demolition to compel compliance.

The general manager explained to some residents with fake or wrong approvals steps they must take to comply within two weeks to avoid demolition.

The team, at 101 Close, escaped attacks as a security man unleashed ferocious dogs on the officials..
A policeman in the team spotted the animals, raised the alarm, and they caught the guard who was trying to run away after leaving the gate open for the dogs.

He was led back into the compound where he had left the gate open for the animals and was forced to chain them.
Reacting, the General Manager of LASBCA, Mr Gbolahan Oki, told NAN that his officials usually go through several harassments and intimidation from residents in the course of their duties.

Oki said the three-storey demolished and four buildings sealed did not have approvals and did not conform to planning rules and regulations.

Three storey building under construction being demolished in Banana Island by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) on Friday in Lagos.

He said the fences pulled down neither had approvals from Lagos State Government nor authorisation from National Inland Waterways.

“We removed four buildings and some couple of fences but we still have more to do because most of them were built without approval,” he said.

Oki advised Lagos residents to always do the right thing and obey all physical planning laws for safe construction and sanity in the environment.

“Whether you are rich or poor, nobody is above the law and the law must take its course,” he said.
NAN observed that the demolished three-storey building was built directly under power lines.