The Lagos State Government through the officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has commenced the demolition of 5 defective buildings in the Ikoyi area of the state.
The building removal exercise which is a pre-emptive measure by the state government is to forestall any likely accidental collapse of these buildings as well as save lives.
The structures which were located at the end of Patrick Harbour Estate, Ikoyi, and comprises of 4 floors each under construction, were found sinking and tilted, thereby making it imperative to discontinue further construction works at the site.
The General Management of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, in his statement said that the officials of the agency took a proactive approach to prevent the imminent collapse of the structures and save lives.
He stated that the removal of defective structures further affirmed the agency’s resolve to ensure the demolition of distressed buildings in any part of the State.
Oki stressed that no fewer than 15 distressed and defective structures have been removed by the Agency in the past two months and the Agency will continue to comb all nooks and crannies of Lagos State to ensure that unsafe buildings are identified and removed accordingly.
The Lagos State Government has been embarking on the demolition and sealing of properties across the state for being defective and unsafe, breaching the state’s physical planning laws and lack of approval from relevant authorities.
This exercise was intensified after the collapse of a 21-storey building under construction at Gerrard Road Ikoyi, which left scores of people dead and many others seriously injured.
Recall that on November 1, 2021, a 21-storey building, one of the 3 high-rise buildings under construction and situated on Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, collapsed, killing about 46 persons with 15 persons rescued alive. One of the deceased was the owner and promoter of the collapsed building, Osibona.
LASBCA before a Coroner’s inquest revealed that the construction of the 3 high-rise buildings at Gerrard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos commenced before provisional approval was granted.
