It was a scene of despair on Basil Chibueze Close, Abule-Oshun area of Lagos State, as officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) demolished several houses on Wednesday, leaving many residents homeless.
Gatekeepers News reports that the demolition team arrived around 8:30 a.m. in three vehicles and began pulling down buildings on the street, starting with an uncompleted structure. Witnesses said the officials initially attempted to demolish a completed building but changed course after the owner produced the approved building plan.
Amid the chaos, a woman who had recently given birth to twins was seen fleeing her home with the infants as officials began tearing down the structure she occupied. Residents said she was not allowed to retrieve any of her belongings before the building was razed. Household items, including a fan, were still visible in the partly demolished structure.
At least six buildings were brought down — including two uncompleted ones, four residential houses, and a mini sports field. Every other house on the street, except one marked “Military Zone — Keep Off,” was also marked for demolition. Officials reportedly told residents that they would return soon to continue the exercise.
One resident, whose house was among those marked, expressed frustration and confusion, saying LASBCA officials had earlier marked the buildings in September and instructed owners to present their building approvals for verification.
When contacted, Mr. Adu Ademuyiwa, Director of the Public Affairs Unit at LASBCA, said the affected structures were “distressed buildings” that had already been served with demolition notices.
Asked why stakeholders were not further engaged before the exercise, Ademuyiwa said:
“When a building has been served and it is visibly in a distressed state, we do not wait until it collapses before taking action. Lagos State cherishes the safety of lives.”
He also denied reports that residents were still inside their homes during the demolition.
“It is not possible,” he said. “We always instruct occupants to vacate before demolition begins.”
Ademuyiwa explained that the affected buildings had failed to meet safety standards despite repeated warnings.
“Most of these houses have been in a highly distressed state for months. We advised owners to conduct non-destructive material testing (NDT), but many ignored the directive. We cannot wait for buildings to collapse, especially during the rainy season,” he added.
Residents, however, accused the agency of insensitivity and poor communication, saying the exercise left them stranded without prior notice.
