LASBCA Justifies Oworonshoki Shanty Demolitions, Insists Residents Ignored Warnings

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has firmly defended its recent demolition of shanties and unapproved buildings in the Oworonshoki community, asserting that the operation followed all legal procedures after residents repeatedly ignored warnings and failed to utilize a seven-month amnesty program for regularization. The enforcement action, which began on Saturday night in the Ojulari area of Oworonshoki, targeted makeshift structures along the Iyana Oworonshoki coastal line and lagoon-facing sites filled with sand. Officials from LASBCA, backed by the Rapid Response Squad (RRS), arrived around midnight with bulldozers, displacing hundreds of residents who were reportedly jolted from sleep. Tear gas was allegedly deployed to disperse crowds, and while some were allowed to salvage belongings, the sudden operation sparked immediate outcry and protests. In a statement defending the exercise, LASBCA's Permanent Secretary, Gbolahan Oki, emphasized that the demolitions were not arbitrary. "Due process was meticulously followed," Oki said during a media interaction, highlighting multiple sensitization sessions held with community leaders and traditional rulers, as well as notices marked on affected buildings. He presented a three-minute video showing these prior engagements, showing that the action was transparent and not conducted in secrecy. The agency pointed to a seven-month amnesty initiative launched earlier in the year, during which residents of unapproved structures were urged to regularize their buildings or relocate voluntarily. Despite these efforts, Oki noted that compliance was minimal, with many ignoring the deadlines. "The structures posed significant environmental, security, and safety risks, including flooding vulnerabilities along the coastal area and potential criminal hideouts," he added, aligning the operation with Lagos State's urban regeneration agenda under Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu's THEMES+ framework. Similar demolitions occurred concurrently in Lekki, where shanties accused of harboring miscreants and violating environmental laws were cleared. LASBCA has signaled that more actions are forthcoming, including in Makoko, where residents have been advised to vacate buildings under high-tension power lines due to risks of electrocution, fires, and structural collapse.

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