Developers, property owners and traders at the Trade Fair Complex along Lagos – Badagry Expressway in Lagos are counting their losses in anger and anguish following the demolition of some buildings at the complex by the Lagos State government.
Bulldozers and other earth moving equipment roared on Thursday, pulling down multi billion naira buildings at the complex.
Traders wept profusely, and those who couldn’t cry, strapped their hands across their chests. Others held their heads with their hands in utter bewilderment, as they watched helplessly.
The presence of fierce looking and gun-wielding policemen who arrived at the scene in more than six Toyota Hilux vans to give protection to those that carried out the demolition kept onlookers at a distance.
The operation, which was carried out jointly by the Ministry of Physical Planning, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (LASURA), and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), resulted in the destruction of many buildings.
The demolition exercise sent shockwaves through the entire complex, with many developers and owners of the demolished structures expressing deep sense of loss.
Some traders at the complex welcomed the development, saying it will help to sanitise the area and restore order. But the affected ones expressed dismay, saying they were not given adequate notice before the demolition took place.
Lamentations of developers, traders
One of the major victims, Magnus Ike, said his property that was destroyed was worth about N5 billion. According to him, the demolition began while he was in a meeting with his Chinese business partners at the complex.
“I saw some heavy duty equipment, and a large contingent of policemen, as well as officials of Lagos State Building Control Agency. I watched them pull down my building,” he told Saturday Sun in anguish.
He said he constructed the building five years ago, adding that, “I’m a very civil person, I obey laws, I got all building approvals from the Federal Government. It was supervised by the management team of the Trade Fair Complex. It’s one of the buildings in the complex that complied with all the building regulations, and it is different from all other buildings.
“The property sits on 5,000 square metres, and I obtained a bank facility to build it. The Lagos State government didn’t send a letter to me, invite me, or place a caveat on the property. I just saw my building going down.
“The building was constructed with the highest quality materials. The bulldozers were hitting the building and couldn’t make any impact until after a very long time.
This is an act of wickedness. The head of the team in a press conference said they did partial destruction so that people can come to regularise their buildings – the buildings they have brought down.
“My building is made up of glass construction. Those glasses cost me more than N70 million. POPs were destroyed; my office was destroyed, and goods worth several millions of naira. My perimeter fence was pulled down. I don’t know if it’s vendetta, if I offended anybody.”
The developer also lamented the impact of the demolition on the government’s desire to attract foreign investors.
“We are talking about bringing in foreign investors, but you are destroying the investment of the citizens. I was with my Chinese business partners when they arrived for the demolition, so, what message have you sent to him? The Lagos State government has failed me. I know how much I pay for personal income tax and company tax.”
Saturday Sun gathered that Ike’s demolished structure has a helipad, sections for hospital equipment, another section for schools, including crèche and other facilities like mall, and offices, among others.
Another affected property owner, Emeka Anuna, told Saturday Sun that two years ago, he met some officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency surveying his building and decided to reach out to the original owner of the property to find out the purpose of their visit, but was assured that they would find out and sort out whatever the issue was. But last Thursday, he got a call from his caretaker and other property owners informing him that officials of the Lagos State government were carrying out demolition of their property.
He said: “I just came this morning to confirm the information I received, and what I saw is nothing short of shocking. There was no prior notice from the management of the property and ASPAMDA about this.
“All I’m sure of is that I followed all the building planning laws and got all the required approvals from the building agency. I have all my documents and receipts to prove this claim.
“There has to be a concrete explanation of this action from the government. We are trying to schedule a meeting with the management of the property and will know the areas we defaulted on.”
Doris Sebastian, a shop owner and dealer of hair extension materials disclosed that she wasn’t aware if her landlord was served any notice. She explained that her property owner didn’t issue any warning or notice of evacuation to her and couldn’t tell if the government served a notice to the landlord.
“It was two weeks ago that I saw a notice on the wall that stated October 2023, perhaps indicating the date the notice was first served. I’m expecting an explanation from my landlord on the next action,” Sebastian said.
“I was not aware that my building was going to be demolished today,” said Mrs. Chimzitere Cletus, owner of a fabric shop that was demolished during the exercise.
“I started operating this business just six months ago, and I never received any notice from my landlord who said he didn’t receive any complaint from the authorities. I’m not sure he defaulted in any way,” she added.
Another shop owner and victim of the demolition Joyce Akachi expressed disappointment over the exercise, stressing it would affect the livelihoods of many traders and workers in the area.
“We are not against the government’s efforts to sanitise the area, but we appeal to them to consider the plight of the traders and workers who will be affected by this action,” she said.
It remains to be seen how effective this effort will be, as the government has pledged not to tolerate non-compliance with physical planning laws.
In a different reaction, Tunde Sowande, a property owner, quite a distance from the scene of the demolition, noted: “The demolition exercise is just the beginning. The government warned the developers and owners of structures to comply with physical planning laws, saying that those who fail to do so will face the consequences.
“Is it not unbelievable that a responsible government as this administration will suddenly decide to carry out a demolition without prior warning or notice?
“The demolition is an effort to enforce physical planning laws, which are expected to have a positive impact on the state, making it a safer and more habitable place for all its residents.
“As the state continues to grow and develop, it is clear that the government will play a crucial role in ensuring that this growth is sustainable and beneficial to all.”
In his reaction to the recent development, Chinedu Ukatu, President of Ndigbo Amaka Progressive Market Association of Lagos, an umbrella body of major markets in the state, disclosed that he heard the news of the demolition and came on a survey operation with his team.
He said: “I and my team are here on stocktaking, and we are still inspecting the area to ascertain the degree of damage done. After the stocktaking we will engage the state government to get their response to the reason for the demolition.”
Management in shock
In her reaction, the Executive Director/CEO of the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board, Erelu Vera Ndanusa, expressed disappointment over the state’s actions, stating that the state government did not consult her before the demolition exercise, despite her official oversight of the complex.
Ndanusa stressed that the buildings in the complex are subject to approval by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing, which also collaborates with law enforcement to remove non-compliant structures.
Despite the tensions, she confirmed that both the federal and state governments have agreed to meet in the coming week to resolve the jurisdictional conflict.
“This matter requires dialogue. We are all working for the interest of the public and the traders. A resolution is necessary,” she said.
Victims of Lagos, FG power show?
A renewed power tussle between the Federal Government and the Lagos State Government over regulatory authority led to the demolition of more than 15 buildings at the International Trade Fair Complex, Saturday Sun gathered.
The enforcement action, carried out by the Lagos State government has left traders and developers caught in the middle of a long-standing dispute over building permits and planning approvals.
The complex, originally managed by the Federal Government through the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) and the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has been at the centre of years of controversy regarding who holds the legal authority to issue construction permits within its premises.
Thursday’s demolition, which was not the first time of such, also saw several other buildings marked for removal.
During the enforcement exercise, Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Olumide Oluyinka, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on E-GIS and Planning Matters, Dr Abiodun Babatunde Olajide, led a team that partially demolished structures that allegedly lacked state-issued planning approvals.
Dr Oluyinka ordered that all on-going construction within the Trade Fair Complex must cease immediately pending proper approval from the Lagos State Government. He warned that failure to comply would result in further demolitions.
“This enforcement is part of our commitment to ensuring a safer, more organized Lagos. Illegal developments will not be tolerated. All buildings within the complex must present valid planning permits. Without that, they risk being pulled down,” Oluyinka warned.
He also emphasised that while the complex is federally owned, its current use as a full-fledged commercial market brings it under the regulatory purview of both the state and local authorities.
According to Oluyinka, the Lagos State government requires the complex’s layout and expects all on-going developments to align with approved plans.
He argued that proper oversight and compliance would not only prevent chaos but also enhance the value of properties within the complex.
Echoing the commissioner’s remarks, Dr Olajide said that every building must be approved and recertified every five years to ensure it remains fit for use.
He reinforced that the enforcement exercise was intended to establish regulatory order in what has become a large market hub.
‘More buildings without proper permits will be pulled down’
But Jubril Gawat, Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, said the demolition exercise was targeted at buildings that did not comply with regulations.
He warned: “The Lagos State government has begun the removal of illegal developments, structures without statutory approvals, and defective structures, and structures built on road setbacks and drainages in the Trade Fair Complex, Ojo Local Government area.
“We will not tolerate non-compliance with physical planning laws in any part of the state. We will work with all stakeholders to ensure that Lagos State is a safe and habitable place for all its residents,” Gawat stated on his X page.
Gawat explained that the government had issued warnings to developers and owners of illegal structures in the area and that the demolition exercise was a culmination of these efforts.
“We have been working with the developers and owners of these structures to ensure that they comply with the physical planning laws, but unfortunately, some of them have refused to comply,” he said.
While some may have been affected negatively by the demolition, the government maintains that it is a necessary step towards creating a safer and more orderly environment within the Trade Fair Complex and other parts of the state.
Stakeholders stay action
The chairman of Trade Fair Complex Stakeholders, Chief Eric Akunwafor, disclosed that the stakeholders want to maintain the peace because they are law-abiding.
Akunwafor, who spoke at the end of a stakeholders’ meeting at the complex, stated that if they had not calmed down some boys, the situation couldn’t have been easily managed, and no one could imagine the extent it could go or the shape it could have taken.
“The point I want to make is that the Trade Fair Complex is a Federal Government property, and for how many years have we been here? But it is today that they remembered this place.
“We want to do what we can to make the world move on because you can’t imagine that somebody will wake up to come to destroy people’s property and you think that those people would be happy? So, let us leave this for now.
“This is not the first time this kind of thing has happened. About two years ago, the Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), without notice, arrived early Monday morning and sealed the complex. We were not told of our offence. It lasted for over a week. Is that the way things are done? Is there no more laws in Nigeria?”
According to him, the stakeholders are yet to assess the value of the destroyed property. He said the owners were already making the necessary assessments. When they are ready, they will make it known to the public.
Credit: The Sun