Lagos to demolish 114 distressed buildings

In a move to stem the tide of collapsed buildings, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) began demolition of 57 distressed buildings, yesterday.

LASBCA General Manager, Lekan Shodehinde, said the exercise was the first phase of the demolition of distressed buildings approved by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.

Thirty-four of the buildings earmarked for demolition are reportedly on Lagos Island.

The buildings, according to the LASBCA general manager, had been distressed over time and that government had served owners of the structures notices. Shodeinde added that government would not fold its arms and allow buildings to collapse indiscriminately.

He also disclosed that the agency has identified 114 distressed buildings which needed to be demolished, while 13 were earmarked for demolition, yesterday.

During the exercise, on the Island, yesterday, officials of LASBCA were escorted by armed policemen.

Buildings to be demolished during the two-week exercise, according to him, are two-storey, three-storey and four-storey buildings.

He said tests were carried out on the affected buildings before demolition and that landlords would be given 90 days to pay the demolition cost.