When the Bulldozer of the Lagos State Government roared recently, properties of bewildered Nigerians who allegedly built their various houses illegally ended in rubbles
By Miracle Egbo
When the bulldozer at the behest of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LSBCA, turned off its ignition, many magnificent buildings were reduced to rubbles. LSBCA in its defense of negotiating with the bulldozer alleged that the owners of the buildings are in infractions of the rules and regulation guiding building in Lagos State. The agency insisted that affected building were sufficiently warned before the invitation of the bulldozer at the odd hours of the night.
An informed source told this medium that most of the buildings in the rubbles were alleged to have followed the rules and regulations in erecting building in the state, money allegedly exchanged hands before the building went up. According to the source, the agency did not see infractions when it was busy collecting moneys from the owners of the buildings. “No sane man would be erecting building in an area that is prohibited by law with the backing of the relevant authorities. Make no mistake LSBCA allegedly collected huge sums of money to allow the owners of the properties to erect their building only to turn around to hound them with the demolition of their properties”, revealed one of the vitims at Abule Ado.
Lagos State government has said that destruction of the properties were based on the survey carried out which showed that most of the properties destroyed were built on canal channels, and it is not acceptable. It went further to say that the owners of the properties were sufficiently warned before the roaring of the bulldozer. According to LSBCA officials, illegal buildings contribute immensely to the perennial flooding in Lagos because most of these buildings are built on the canal channels thereby obstructing the flow of the canals in the state.
Investigation orchestrated by Tentacle revealed that most of the properties that are rubbles now are owned by Ndigbo sons and daughters in Lagos. Some of the owners of the buildings averred that they followed all due process before erecting the building, insisting that the Lagos State government gave them the legal backing before the buildings went up. Some of them alleged that the demolition was an aftermath of the 2023 election which saw majority of Ndigbo resident in Lagos massively voting for the opposition party in Lagos State. They alleged that some of the properties had Certificate of Occupancy, surprised that officials of Lagos State government negotiated with the bulldozers to reduce their properties to rubbles.
Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyawu, President General of Ohanaeze, socio cultural organization of Ndigbo has called on the Lagos State Government to investigate the claims by some of the owners of the properties that they followed due process before erecting the buildings. Iwuanyawu assured the victims of the roaring of the bulldozers that Ohanaeze was going to interface with the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu to take a second look at the complaints of the victims and find an amicable way of settling the matter that is capable of breeding ethnic division in Lagos State.
From Festac town to Ajah, Ajao, Abule Egba buildings belonging to Ndigbo sons and daughters have been reduced to rubbles on the excuse that they were illegal structures that obstruct the free flow of canals in the state thereby causing incessant flooding in the state. An informed source told this medium that most of the owners have either died or permanent patients in the hospital as a result of the demolition of their houses which they used their last savings in life to erect.
Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP in the controversial 2023 presidential election has berated the government, saying that the timing of the demolition is wrong even if there are infractions as claimed by the government. He said that demolishing the properties of people in these harsh economic realities of the country is ill advised to say the least. He called on the government to find a way of compensating owners of the properties destroyed especially those with valid Certificate of Occupancy.
