Lagos govt to demolish illegal structures in Ogombo

The Lagos State government on Friday vowed to demolish shanties and illegal structures in Ogombo, Eti-Osa local government area of the state.

The General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Arc. Gbolahan Oki, disclosed this to journalists in Lagos.

He said the land sold by land grabbers to unsuspecting buyers in the area belonged to the state government.

The LASBCA chief stressed that the state government had issued several notices of demolition to the illegal occupants of the area for over five years.

He pointed out that about 80 to 90 percent of the buildings in the area are shanties with no building approval or documents from the government

Oki said: “We will soon embark on the removal of all the structures on the site because the government must perform its duties.

“The state government has promised to deliver housing for residents of the state and this is where we are starting from.”

READ ALSO: Lagos demolishes 259 dilapidated buildings, shuts 7,800 structures in 2yrs

He also decried the activities of some real estate agents and lawyers who buy and sell unverified property in the state.

The LASBCA GM added: “Apart from the land grabbers that are our core problem, the lawyers and estate agents need to be accountable.

“The law says that the agents are responsible for property search, so buyers meet them to help them get land when needed.

“Before the buyers pay for the property, they also meet a lawyer for verification and legal agreements.

“We expect both the estate agents and the lawyers to carry out due diligence on behalf of the prospective buyers, before allowing them to make financial commitment.

“The Lagos State government has one of the best land registry archives that has records and documents of property bought even in the last 20 to 30 years, those owned by the government or already given a Certificate of Occupancy.”

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