Concerned Nigerians and Lagosians have reacted as Lagos State Government, at the weekend demolished 13 buildings in Ajao Estate, close to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.

Perhaps in anticipation of likely reactions to the demolition, the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Gbolahan Oki, had said “the buildings were demolished for lacking required approvals, and were cited around the airport restricted areas while some were cited on aviation fuel pipelines.”

He Alleged that the builders “lacked required approvals for construction in that area.”

According to him, “the buildings were constructed illegally in disregard to extant laws.”

As he puts it: “The buildings had no planning permit and were built around the pipelines. Nobody in his right mind will build on a pipeline.”

Earlier reports today said the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) is in full support of the government’s demolition exercise.

The General Manager (Business Development) of FAAN, Ngwu Hyacinth, for example, has been quoted as applauding the development.

He was reported as saying the airport authority “began to notice encroachment on its land in 2015,” and that it had issued several warning to the alleged “encroachers.”

These notwithstanding, NewsOrient reports that many of the affected owners and residents in the area, who witnessed the demolition shed tears, accusing the Lagos State Government of “wickedness.”
Some even alleged political victimisation.

“Don’t listen to the wild claims about house owners here not having the right documents. If not for their wickedness, why would they allow people to build in this place, deceive us, innocent Nigerians to pay huge house rents before stepping in to frustrate and humiliate them this way,” cried a resident, Mrs Maureen Adeku, a resident in the area.