Demolition not targeted at any group in Lagos – Commissioner

• Says the demolished buildings in the state were constructed without approval from any of its agencies
• Challenged any of the owners of the demolished structures to come forward with their building approvals

The Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Oluyinka Olumide, said the ongoing demolition in the state is not targeted at any group.

Olumide stated this in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday.

The minister refuted claims that the ongoing demolition by the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration was targeted at the south-easterners.

According to Olumide, the demolished buildings in the state were constructed without approval from any of its agencies, and they were hastily erected during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.

Recall that there have been unverified claims on social media that the demolition targeted people from the south-eastern part of Nigeria.

But the commissioner said, “Anybody can own a building in Lagos so long as you go along with the laid-down rules. It’s unfortunate that maybe what we have recently happens to concern those from certain parts of the country.

“Those buildings causing this uproar are buildings rushed during the COVID period when activities of enforcement officers are at the low ebb because of restriction of movement and you could see that when those buildings were demolished, nobody has come forward to say they were demolished under approval.”

Olumide challenged any of the owners of the demolished structures to come forward with their building approvals.

He said, “We will not demolish any approved building, that’s for sure. So, if there is anybody who claims that their buildings were approved and demolished, let them come forward.”

The commissioner emphasized that illegal structures on the drainage system would be pulled down.

He said, “Buildings not done within the confines of the law are subject to demolition.”

In October, the Lagos State government announced the removal of perimeter fences within two metres of drainage channels on the Norman Williams, Awolowo, and Ribadu roads in the Ikoyi area of the state.