By LYDIA CHIGOZIE-NGWAKWE

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) says its removal of shanties and other unapproved buildings at Oworonshoki followed due process as the residents ignored all warnings.

Mr. Gbolahan Oki, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Lagos State, told newsmen during an interaction in Lagos on Thursday evening that the affected structures had been served demolition notices.

He said that the residents were given enough time to obtain planning permits during the state government’s amnesty programme for unapproved buildings.

According to him, the amnesty began with a 90-day window from May 2024 to July 2024, and was extended to October 2024 and finally to December 2024.

Oki said: “Only two or three persons in that community took advantage of the amnesty, and those buildings were not demolished. Others ignored all warnings.”

He added that LASBCA officials, together with community leaders and traditional leaders, engaged the residents through meetings and sensitization before the demolition.

Oki said that most of the demolished buildings were distressed, blocking drainage channels and posing security threats.

He added that some tilted backwards and had visible cracks or were only patched with paint to look safe.

“The government cannot allow people to live in houses that are not fit for habitation.

“We are now insisting that every property in Lagos must have a certificate of fitness for habitation,” he said.

According to the permanent secretary, obtaining a planning permit now takes 10 days to 15 days once the necessary documents are submitted.

He noted that the office issuing the permit had been decentralized to all local government areas.

The official said that the demolitions were not carried out in secret.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a three-minute video showing marked buildings and community meetings at Oworonshoki was presented during the interaction.

Oki said that the demolition was necessary to safeguard lives, improve drainage and enhance security in the area.

NAN recalls that the Lagos State Government granted a three-phase amnesty between May 2024 and December 2024 for owners of unapproved buildings to regularise their documents.

During the period, 18,489 applications were submitted and 8,856 planning permits were issued. (NAN)