Oworonshoki demolition: Residents ignored all warnings – Lagos govt 

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has said its demolition of shanties and unapproved buildings in Oworonshoki followed due process, as residents failed to comply with repeated warnings.

Mr. Gbolahan Oki, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, stated this during a media briefing in Lagos on Thursday. 

He explained that demolition notices had been served and residents were given sufficient time to obtain planning permits under the state’s amnesty programme.

According to him, the amnesty opened in May 2024 for 90 days and was later extended until 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.

He added that LASBCA worked with community and traditional leaders to engage the residents through meetings and sensitisation before the demolition exercise began.

Oki explained that many of the affected buildings were structurally unsafe, blocked drainage channels, or posed security risks.

“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.

He noted that planning permits can now be obtained within 10 to 15 days once documents are complete and that the process has been decentralised to local government offices.

Oki stressed that the demolitions were not carried out in secret, noting that a video showing marked buildings and community meetings was presented during the briefing.

He said the exercise was necessary to protect lives, improve drainage, and enhance security in Oworonshoki.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the three-phase amnesty period, 18,489 applications were submitted, and 8,856 planning permits were issued.

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE