Lawyer decries alleged planned demolition of Lekki home, despite court order

A Lagos-based lawyer, Kenneth Odidika, has cried out, saying the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and the state’s Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development are planning to demolish his property in the highbrow Lekki area, despite a restraining court order.

Odidika claimed that from the onset, LASBCA had been struggling to find reasons to dispossess him and his neighbours of their property.

He said each time they countered their claims, LASBCA looked for another reason to harass them.

Odidika said: “Early in December 2022, LASBCA informed us that a certain company, Minkus Nigeria Limited (the petitioner) was claiming that we were squatters on the land. They subsequently served us with a Contravention Notice, and we successfully showed we were authentic residents.

“Then they said we didn’t have development permits. We produced our permits, including a Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) and Governor’s Consent, which they duly acknowledged. Thereafter, the petitioner went to court to challenge our title. We responded with proof of ownership, forcing them to withdraw the case from court.

“We thought we were going to have some respite, until LASBCA came with the issue of ‘building outside approved design’, and fortunately for us, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced a 90-day amnesty, effective May 2, 2024, for people to make good such shortcomings.

“We immediately applied for assessment and processing, but LASBCA refused to attend to us saying that there was a directive that they should not accept drawings and documents from the Maiyegun and Ologolo (families) for processing, as the land was in dispute.”

He further claimed that some lawmakers were used to try to intimidate and harass them.

He said: “In view of this, we promptly obtained an Order of Court on May 30, directing all parties to maintain status quo pending the determination of the case.

“However, they refused to obey the court order. The 90-day amnesty window was yet to expire, yet LASBCA came again on June 11, to mark our houses for demolition for the third time, foreclosing the possibility of any of us taking advantage of the amnesty graciously given by the governor, which incidentally is meant to expire on July 31.

Odidika further claimed that neither his building nor those of other people in Kenneth Odidika Close stands on any water channel or right of way.

He also petitioned the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, who held a meeting with him and promised to look into the matter.

“I think that it is curious that LASBCA is bent on earmarking our buildings for imminent demolition, even before we received any feedback from the commissioner, and despite the amnesty directive and a court order ordering parties to maintain status quo,” he added.

When contacted, Deputy Director, Public Affairs, LASBCA, Olaoye Olusegun, said  the  structure erected at 5, Odidika Street was identified to have been erected contrary to the planning standards and regulations; hence the service of enforcement notices request for the development permit and other building control documents.

According to him,  the agency has only served enforcement notices to compel compliance with the regulatory provisions of the law but did not harass or threaten the developer in any way.

“The agency is not aware of any order of Court or litigation restraining it from carrying out its statutory function of enforcing the Building Control Regulations on the site. There is therefore no basis for the allegation made against the Agency that it disobeyed a court order.

“ It is also expedient to state that it is not the statutory responsibility of the Agency to regularise the illegal and non conforming structure of the developer and no document was submitted to LASBCA for regularisation that was refused as alleged,” he added.