16th March, 2019
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Lagos State Government on Saturday continued the demolition of distressed buildings on Lagos Island area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria in order to avert building collapse.
The move was instigated by the collapsed of a three-storey building at Ita-Faji area of Lagos Island on Wednesday, killing 20 children and adults.
The state government, through the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, had on Friday begun the demolition of distressed buildings on Lagos Island on the order of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
On Saturday, LASBCA officials, escorted by armed task force officials stormed Ojo Giwa, Okediji and Seriki Streets on the Island to demolish distressed building.
At Number 33 Ojo Giwa, a three-storey building was demolished by the officials in order to avert another collapsed building.
At 34, Seriki Street, another distressed three-storey building was pulled down by LASBCA officials, while at 21, Okediji street, a three-storey building was demolished.
The exercise was led by the Acting General Manager, LASBCA, Omotayo Fakoluju.
He said 150 distressed buildings had been identified on the Island, but 30 had already been demolished in the last one year while 80 would now be demolished.
Fakoluju added that the agency would carry out the demolition the 80 structures in phases.
The Acting GM, also disclosed that 20 of the 80 buildings earmarked for demolition were on Adeniji Adele, saying that the agency would no longer look back but ensure that distressed buildings were pulled down immediately.
He disclosed that lots of buildings on the Island had been marked for demolition, but that some of them were subject of litigation which prevented government from going ahead to pull them down immediately.
“Over 80 buildings are ready for removal but we shall be removing them in phases. In buildings which are subject of litigation, we try to evacuate the occupants from the buildings so that there will not be loss of lives,” he said.