The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) said its recent demolition of shanties and unapproved structures at Oworonshoki followed due process, noting that residents ignored repeated warnings.
Mr. Gbolahan Oki, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, said the affected structures had been served demolition notices prior to the exercise.
He explained that residents were given ample opportunity to obtain planning permits during the state government’s amnesty programme for unapproved buildings, which ran from May to December 2024.
“Only two or three persons in that community took advantage of the amnesty, and those buildings were not demolished. Others ignored all warnings,” Oki said.
Before the demolition, LASBCA officials engaged residents through community meetings and sensitisation efforts in collaboration with local and traditional leaders.
Oki added that many of the demolished buildings were structurally unsound, blocking drainage channels, posing security threats, or showing visible cracks despite being superficially patched with paint.
“The government cannot allow people to live in houses that are not fit for habitation. Every property in Lagos must now have a certificate of fitness for habitation,” he said.
He noted that obtaining a planning permit now takes 10 to 15 days once all documents are submitted, with offices decentralised across local government areas to facilitate the process.
Oki emphasised that the demolitions were not carried out in secret, citing a three-minute video showing marked buildings and community meetings at Oworonshoki presented during the interaction.
The exercise was aimed at safeguarding lives, improving drainage, and enhancing security, with 18,489 applications submitted and 8,856 planning permits issued during the three-phase amnesty programme.