A group of traders, land owners and property developers, have protested over what they described as “unlawful’ demolition of their multi-million naira shopping plaza” by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency.
According to them, officials of Lagos State Building Control Agency accompanied by policemen and thugs, stormed the plaza, a three- storey building at 7, 9, and 11, Akinsemoyin Street, by Breadfruit Street, Balogun, Lagos, and demolished the property. The traders said they were not served any prior notice before the demolition.
According to the protesters, in what appears to be a land-grabbing scheme, the property was later reassigned to another developer, who started building immediately.
The traders, who demanded that they should be restored to the property and duly compensated for their loss, carried placards with different inscriptions, some of which read: ‘Sanwo-Olu, call LABSCA, LASURA, LASPPA to order,’ ‘Sanwoolu do not be silent,’ ‘Sanwoolu, you said our rights as Lagosians would be protected,’ ‘LABSCA GM, how much did you collect for this job,’ ‘LASURA GM, how much did you collect for this hatchet job,’ ‘Sanwoolu must speak up about his involvement in the demolition of our shopping Plaza,’ among others.
The traders alleged that despite being extorted by Lagos State government officials, who demanded payments of N2.5 million and N2 million respectively into two separate accounts (a GTB account number 0169226434 owned by one Olusogo Titilola, and a Wema Bank account number, 0243550566 owned by the House of Ghufraan, supplied by LABSCA officials for the regularization of all documents relating to the building, they still went ahead to demolish their property.
Addressing newsmen during the protest, the developer of the demolished building, Mr. Chidozie Chikelu, Executive Director, Good Wave Resources Limited, who leased the land from the Akinsemoyin family, said: “After leasing the land from the Akinsemoyin, we followed due process to ensure that the land was free from previous acquisition or encumbrances that could render it ineligible to be sold or leased.
“We also got necessary building permit to build on the land after following due process. We got a letter from the Office of the State Surveyor-General dated July 13, 2021, with reference number 05G 272/2022/VOL X/64, and signed by the duo of Tejuosho Adenike. A (Mrs) – Assistant Surveyor-General and Mr. Dada Oluwafemi, Principal Surveyor, on behalf of the Surveyor-General, Lagos State, gave the approval for the building to commence.”
Spokesman for the traders, Emeka Ojiego told of how they were all woken up on August 20, 2023, to the news that officials from the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LABSCA, Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, LASURA, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority and a combined team of armed policemen had invaded the site of the building located on 7, 9 and 11 Akinsemoyin Street, by Breadfruit Street, Balogun, Lagos with the clear mandate to bring the building down.
Speaking on the incident, the two members of the Akinsemoyin family, Oyeku Akinsemoyin and Gbenga Akinsemoyin, condemned the reckless invasion of their family land.
“That land where the demolished complex was built belongs to our family. We have owned the rights to the land since it was acquired in 1944. It is a freehold and there has never been any contention over it up till now. We the Akinsemoyin family duly signed a 15-year agreement leasing this land to Chidozie Chikelu, the developer and CEO of Good Wave Resources Limited.”
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