Lagos Govt Gives Reason For Demolishing 9-Storey Building

The Lagos State Government has given reason why it demolished a nine-storey building in the Lekki area of the state.

The General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, Mr Olalekan Shodeinde, said for being nine floors, that the building on Dada Fayemi Street, Osapa London in Lekki, Lagos, violated the state’s building specifications for structures in the area.

According to him, they were not supposed to be more than four floors, in addition to the fact that the demolished structure did not have government approval.

The demolition, which was done manually due to the location of the building, is expected to be completed within a few days.

It was not clear what the building was intended for or who the developer was, as there were no signs on site.

According to him, the structure was discovered in September 2017.

Shodeinde said, “When we discovered the structure, we contacted the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority, which said there was no record of any approval for the building. LASBCA sealed the site in October 2017, but in March 2018, when we went back there we found that the building had been constructed up to the ninth floor and we reported the case to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development..

“The government ordered that it should be removed because the developer flouted the master plan of the area.

It used to be a crescent, but the building turned the street into a close. Lekki Peninsular does not have the strength to carry such structures. If the developer had asked for approval for nine floors, he would not have been given.”

The GM said the state had engaged the developer and had given him a 14-day ultimatum to remove the structure at his expense, adding that at expiration, the agency moved in and commenced the demolition.

“The law says that if the developer fails to remove a structure that has been marked for demolition, the state will demolish it and issue him an invoice. After 90 days, if he does not pay the demolition fee, the land could be confiscated,” he said.