The Lagos State government on Saturday demolished an illegal structure on Banana Island, constructed on unauthorised reclaimed land to obstruct drainage paths.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Oluyinka Olumide, who led the exercise, also ordered the demolition of illegal fences.

Mr Olumide, accompanied by the general manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Gbolahan Oki, decried the rate at which property owners and developers disregarded building code, hence, the demolition to compel compliance.

The commissioner warned against illegal land reclamation, saying individuals did not have the right to reclaim without requisite permission from the ministry charged with that responsibility.

Mr Olumide said the demolished structure violated a suspension order issued by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu during his assessment visit to the site earlier in the year.

He said it was discovered then that the developer illegally dredged the river to reclaim the land without recourse to any approving authority.

The commissioner warned that indiscriminate dredging activity in the area must stop because it violated planning laws and negatively impacts the state’s ecosystem.

Mr Oki said the construction site had been sealed three times, but the developers broke the government seal to continue working.

He said the developers did not have building plan approvals and did not have layout approvals.

Mr Oki advised residents to always carry out the necessary checks and documentation by visiting the district offices across local governments to get the right information.

He advised residents to get a Certificate of Occupancy and building plan approval or regularisation before moving to the site.

“My duty is to remove anything illegal,” he said.

Mr Oki said breaking the seals contravened the building code, adding that illegal land reclamation activities would be punished.

He said all buildings involved in unapproved shoreline extensions along the Lagos Waterfront would be demolished and their developers prosecuted.

(NAN)