It was a distressing scene on Basil Chibueze Close in the Abule-Oshun area of Lagos State on Tuesday as officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) demolished several occupied structures, leaving residents in tears.
Eyewitnesses said the officials arrived around 8:30 a.m. in three vehicles and immediately began pulling down buildings along the street, starting with an uncompleted structure.
According to residents, the team had initially attempted to demolish a completed building but changed their target after the owner presented approved building documents. “They wanted to start with a completed building, but when the owner brought his building plan, they moved to another one. They only stopped when the other owner also showed his documents,” a witness recounted.
Among those affected was a woman who had given birth to twins just two months ago. She was reportedly forced to flee the house with her newborns as the demolition progressed, without being allowed to retrieve any belongings. From the remaining parts of her home, personal items such as a standing fan and furniture could still be seen amidst the debris.
At least six buildings were demolished — including two uncompleted structures, four occupied houses, and a small field used by the community. Nearly every other building on the street was marked for demolition, except one bearing the inscription, “Military Zone, Keep Off.” Residents said they were informed that the agency would return soon to continue the exercise.
A resident whose house was recently marked expressed confusion and grief, saying that officials had earlier visited in September and advised them to prepare their building approval documents. “They told us to get our papers ready, but we didn’t expect they would come this soon,” he said.
When contacted, the Director of the Public Affairs Unit of LASBCA, Mr. Adu Ademuyiwa, confirmed the operation, stating that most of the affected buildings were distressed and had been previously served with notices.
“The practice is that when a building has been served and is visibly in a distressed state, we will not wait for it to collapse before acting,” he explained.
On reports that a woman and her infant twins were inside during the demolition, Mr. Ademuyiwa dismissed the claim. “It’s not possible. We always ensure people vacate before demolition begins,” he said.
He emphasized that the state government prioritizes the safety of lives over property, noting that the rainy season increases the risk of structural collapse. “These houses have been served for over three months, yet the owners kept begging for extensions. No one can predict when a building will collapse, so it’s better to act now,” he added.
Mr. Ademuyiwa also revealed that residents were earlier instructed to carry out Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) to assess the integrity of their buildings before any further decision was made.