Examining Lagos Demolitions and Its Trailing Controversies

Sunday Ehigiator examines the controversies surrounding the demolition of over 600 houses worth billions of Naira, across the FESTAC area of Lagos State as well as others at Ikota, Ajah and Epe by the Federal Housing Authority, FHA, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LSBCA, thereby rendering several residents homeless and in agony

On November 26, 2023, residents living in the Festac area of Lagos State, were woken up from their deep sleep at dawn by the noises of caterpillars bringing down multimillion naira houses, and wailings from their stranded and now homeless occupants.

The buildings numbering over 600 had earlier been marked for demolition by the FHA for several building contraventions, such as false or incomplete documentation, or inappropriate location of the building.

A week earlier, precisely on November 17, the FHA had released a statement on plans to demolish 677 houses, while 744 others were marked to be partially demolished over infringement by a developer in Phase 2, Festac Town, Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos State.

According to FHA’s South-West Zonal Manager, Mr Akintola Olagbemiro, during an assessment visit to the affected area, he said that despite letters and stakeholders’ meetings, the developers have continued to build on the swampy land without meeting the requirements.

He said: “After so many years of trying to get into the property belonging to FHA, which we labelled as Festac Phase 2. There has been encroachment and illegal development and it’s turning the place into a slum.

“We are trying to see how best we can resolve it and make people live in a more serene environment. Unfortunately, there have been cases of illegal developers and land grabbers.”

Similarly, the Deputy General Manager, FHA, Urban and Regional Planning, Southwest, Francisca Michael-James, said, “We have given the residents several notices but to our surprise, works are still going on, without regard to the law.

“Now we have the permission of our management and we will ask for security backup and start enforcement. We will start removing structures from the roads and those on pipelines set back.

“We will also remove the buildings constructed after the stakeholders’ meetings where we agreed that everyone should wait until we are done with our assessment but some of them continued to build and concluded that we will regularise, but regularisation is not automatic. Now, the ones that did not meet regularisation will have to go.”

THISDAY Findings

Upon THISDAY’s visit to the area after the demolition, it was observed that the notices on many of the demolished buildings indicated that pro-notices were given long before the caterpillars were brought in to pull the structures down.

Some of the notices date back to November 2022 (FHA/AR/34 23.11.2022), while some of the most recent notices date back to 25 August and 22 September 2023 respectively.

Some were only asked to ‘Remove upper floor’ which somehow correlated with the FHA’s claim of wanting to reclaim some of the properties and restore order to the estate.

The demolition of houses in the area eventually commences exactly at the expiration of the 7-day ultimatum issued to the affected residents by the FHA. Following the demolition exercise, a visit by THISDAY to the demolition site typically captures the axiom, ‘The rich also cry’.

It was a sad day for landlords seeing their multimillion naira investments levelled down. A sad day for occupants, whose rents aren’t due, just moved into the building or not even in town between the period of the notice and actual demolition days.

The calculator probably got stuck while counting the losses as they were too enormous and depressing to count. High-rise buildings, duplexes, mansions, mini-estates, units of flats, etc. all levelled to the ground in one day.

All the pleas, tears, wailings, and bribe attempts running into several millions, pleading to be given at least an extra 24 hours to salvage their properties inside the buildings, all fell on deaf ears.

The popular ‘Fela Anikulapo’ evergreen song titled, ‘Zombie’, resonated better with the way the FHA demolition team went about their duties on that day, as they only cared about the instructions (order) they were given by their boss, and listened not to any other voice of lamentation nor reasoning from the residents.

The pride, joy, and sense of security that comes with owning a home in Festac Phase 2, immediately erode into dejection, regrets and despair, and surprisingly for the first time in a long while, their money couldn’t save them from the horror of watching their labour go down the drain in one day.

It was gathered that many of the affected residents have sought shelter with their relatives and kept their property with trusted friends and neighbours, where they are protected from the elements and the roving eyes of marauders.

The area now presently echoes fear, apprehension, misery and wasted billions of naira saved over the years through hard work

While several structures, mainly duplexes, were already demolished, there were houses around them that were left intact.

In some of these houses, only the fences and security buildings were brought down, leaving behind an unsightly scene. In most of the demolished structures, manual labourers could be seen still working tirelessly as they further broke down the remaining pillars and hard concrete into pieces.

Cart and wheelbarrow pushers could also be seen converging at demolition sites, scavenging roofing sheets, bent iron, metal scraps, and other metal items that could be sold or recycled to unknown destinations.

THISDAY also observed that eviction and demolition notices by FHA were sprayed in red ink on many buildings in the area. Most of the houses, it was observed, still had people living in them. Many of the markings, dating back to August and September, indicated that these buildings had been marked for demolition and may soon be brought down.

Not all the marked buildings, however, were residential homes as some were pharmaceutical stores and hotels. On inquiry, their owners shied away from speaking with the press.

Witness Accounts

Speaking with THISDAY, one of the Landlords, Akinyemi Obafemi, said, “On that day, they just came unaware, very early in the morning and started demolitions. It was a terrible experience for me because I just lost my wife during childbirth last month. Now I have nowhere to move down to.

“The initial purchasing of my house was from the Omo Onile (local land owners) but there was an order from the court that revoked the land from them and the FHA began to notify occupants that the agency was now in charge of the place and no longer ‘Omo Onile’.

“But we had our documents which showed where we purchased the land from, so they asked us to pay for rectification. As long as your property doesn’t obstruct a waterway or overlap with the roadside, you have to rectify your documents with the FHA.

“The demolitions are based on three reasons. You didn’t rectify, your pace was too close to the road, or are on a waterway. When I rectified it, they came here to issue me a new number. This marking you are seeing on the wall is no longer valid.”

Another resident who pleaded anonymity told THISDAY that they bought the land from the Ado Family at the cost of N8.5 million. According to him, about 70 trips of sand were used to fill the land and insinuated that all the buildings being demolished belonged to Igbos.

According to him, many of the residents invested in the property because of its proximity to the trade fair market, which is just a five-minute drive from the estate.

Another resident while narrating his ordeal claimed that his house worth over N400 million was demolished; while he had only spent 18 months (one and half years) on the property before the bulldozer pulled it down.

The Controversies

Festac has a mixture of people from various ethnic groups in the country residing there. However, it has a high population of Igbos, mostly traders from the southeastern part of the country, due to the proximity to the bustling ‘Trade Fair’ market located in Satellite Town, which is very close to the affected region.

Following the demolition in the area, some Nigerians, especially on social media, had alleged that the action of the government was specifically targeted at the Igbos due to their political support for the Opposition Labour Party (LP), and its candidate Peter Obi, during the 2023 Presidential Elections held in March, 2023, whereby the LP not only won Lagos State, but massively won in Festac.

A Twitter (now known as X) user, identified as ‘Royal Spotlight’ raised the following questions. “There is something I want to know about the continuous demolition of houses in Lagos, which many have seen as attacks on the Igbos.

“Where was the government when all these structures were erected? Who approved the building kick-off? Why the sudden demolition, now that it is just after the 2023 general election? Are the residents adequately compensated before the demolition exercise like Alex Otti did in Abia State?”

Similarly, Nigerian Activist, Rinu Oduala also asked, “If you are destroying buildings because they were ‘unapproved’, who gave the first approvals? Why have they not been sacked?

“Why isn’t an explanation being made? Why is no one paying damages for ruining the lives of citizens? Does any building go up without the government knowing?”

Against this backdrop, the Senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District, Senator Victor Umeh, advised the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Architect Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, to immediately intervene.

Senator Umeh, who is also the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land, Housing, and Urban Development during a briefing, raised concern over the demolition of houses in the Abule-Ado Festac extension and called for a halt of the operation and proper investigation.

He frowned at the exercise, stressing that it is injustice for people to legitimately acquire lands, and after documentation with relevant government agencies and putting up structures, they would wake up someday seeing the lands revoked and their houses brought down.

Peter Obi Condemns Demolition

Reacting to the demolition exercise, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, expressed serious concern over the demolition exercise and berated the federal government over the demolition of properties belonging to Nigerians amid the hardship in the country.

Obi on his X (formerly Twitter), said, “It’s with complete despondency and unhappiness that I have followed the ongoing demolitions of properties across the country, especially knowing the extra hardship such acts have been heaping on hapless citizens who are already battling with multi-dimensional Poverty.”

According to him, “What a responsive government should be doing under the current harsh economic conditions in the country is to come up with measures aimed at alleviating the people’s hardships and to carry out measures that will take more people out of poverty.

“Even if there are some violations as the governments are claiming, this critical time is not auspicious for such an exercise knowing the hardship in the land and the consequences it will have on the poor who are struggling to make ends meet with their little resources.

“The poor in our midst who are putting their meagre resources are going through very severe financial stress that should not be multiplied further. In some cases, the properties being demolished are the lifetime savings and retirement abodes of the aged and incapacitated.”

He added, “My appeal therefore is for the respective governments involved in this act to consider the hardship in the country and try to put a human face to their actions. While we should enforce sensible regulations, all actions of the government must show compassion.”

Commissioner: Demolition not Targeted at any Group

Meanwhile, following claims on social media that the demolition in Festac was targeted at people from the South-East, the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Oluyinka Olumide, declared that the ongoing demolition in the state is not targeted at any group.

Olumide, who clarified in a TV interview, refuted claims that the ongoing demolition by the state government was targeted at the South-Easterners.

According to him, “Anybody can own a building in Lagos so long as you go along with the laid-down rules. It’s unfortunate that maybe what we have recently happened to concern those from certain parts of the country.

“Those buildings causing this uproar are buildings rushed during the Covid-19 period when activities of enforcement officers are at the low ebb because of restriction of movement and you could see that when those buildings were demolished, nobody has come forward to say they were demolished under approval.

“We will not demolish any approved building, that’s for sure. So, if there is anybody who claims that their buildings were approved and demolished, let them come forward.

“Buildings not done within the confines of the law are subject to demolition.”

Tokunbo Wahab Reacts

In his reaction, the Commissioner, of Lagos State Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, wrote on his X handle, @Tokunbo_Wahab, on November 30, 2023, “We are not going to bow to any propaganda, blackmail or threat. No one can break the law and still benefit from it. The law will take its course. The era of anyhowness is completely over!”

In a separate tweet where he also shared a picture of a mighty mansion built on a canal in Lagos state, he said, “After the inspection tour of System 156 and 157 Channel yesterday, we have issued a seven-day contravention notice to owners of buildings lying within the seven metres drainage setback on Orchid Rd, Agungi, Ajiran, Conservation Road, Osapa, Oral Estate II, all along the Ikota River.

“We cannot keep lampooning the government for flooding when developers, builders and residents are the main cause of flooding; we shall continue to enforce because that is why laws are made. Without law and order, there cannot be development. Enough of this bad behaviour!

“We also visited Chevron Drive, where a ‘Stop Work’ order was issued to Gravitas Company, owners of Grace Ville Island & Pocket Island.

“We urge Lagosians to respect the State Drainage Master Plan to avoid property demolition as there is no going back on the decision of the state to enforce the law and reclaim Drainage setbacks following the expiration of the notices issued.”

Distortion of Festac Master Plan

According to the FHA, Zonal Deputy General Manager, Urban and Regional Planning Michael-James, the demolition became necessary because the activities of land grabbers disrupted the initial plan for Festac Town.

“In the master plan, we have the major artilleries, collector and minor roads, for example, the standard of the Right of Way is about 50 feet, which was observed by occupants of the 1st to fifth avenues, but at several other places in the town, what we have is a distortion of the master plan. Sand filling or road levelling is no longer in place.

Also, a member of the FHA delegation, Lawal Umar-Salihu, explained that from the total land allocation of 2000 x 24.64 hectares earmarked for the Festac Town development, the government has assigned only 30 per cent, while about 70 per cent had been encroached upon illegally.

Four Landlords Allegedly Died of Grief

Speaking with THISDAY, a resident in Unity Close, Anthony Okoli, told us that no fewer than four Landlords in the area have reportedly died from the grief suffered due to the demolition exercise.

According to him, “I know of four landlords who died because they could not bear to see the evidence of their hard work brought down. Some others have developed heart-related problems and hypertension because of this development.”

Another man who gave his name as Obi, lamented that he and his brother had planned to move into their new house in December and were already furnishing it before the demolition struck. And his brother is now “currently receiving treatment for high blood pressure which he suffered, following the demolition.” He said his brother’s life currently hangs on the balance

He revealed that his brother’s two buildings on the same street; a duplex for his family and a four-flat tenancy house were demolished.

Court Grants Restraining Order against FHA, LSBCA

On November 29, a Lagos State High Court, sitting in Ikeja, restrained the Federal Housing Authority, FHA, and Lagos State Building Control Agency, LSBCA, from further demolition of residential houses in 6th Avenue, Festac Town, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State.

The trial judge, Justice Omolade Awope, had granted the order, following the suit by Samuel Ahmed, Martinson Realtors Investment Limited, Taoheed Amusa and R. Balogun, seeking a pre-emptive order of injunction against FHA and LSBCA.

So far, FHA and LSBCA have demolished over 600 houses and partially demolished about 700 others on 6th Avenue in Festac Town.

In the pre-emptive order of injunction, the court restrained the first defendant/respondent whether acting by itself or through its agents, privies, assigns or any special task force, para-military officers or otherwise, howsoever, described from demolishing and/or removing any building or property erected in 6th Avenue Festac Town or any other part of Festac Town in alleged enforcement of ‘Town Planning Laws’ pending the applicant’s compliance with the Lagos State High Court Practice Directions No. 2 of 2019 on Pre-action Protocol.

The order was a sequel to the motion exparte by the claimants, who adduced 10 grounds upon which they sought the order.

FES Demands Compensation for Victims

Meanwhile, a Non-governmental Organisation, NGO, Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, FES, and youth in Lagos have urged the Lagos State government to compensate victims whose houses were demolished, saying the government must provide housing for the needy.

According to the Project Manager, FES, Remi Ihejirika, “The state government should either compensate or relocate the affected Nigerians. If you are going to demolish, you should inform people. The constitution is very clear about these issues. It is the government’s responsibility to provide houses for the poor.”

Quotes

Anybody can own a building in Lagos so long as you go along with the laid-down rules. It’s unfortunate that maybe what we have recently happened to concern those from certain parts of the country

The state government should either compensate or relocate the affected Nigerians. If you are going to demolish, you should inform people. The constitution is very clear about these issues. It is the government’s responsibility to provide houses for the poor