Officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) have arrested Mr. Francis Umeh, who is suspected to be the owner of a site at 313 Cl, Banana Island, for illegal dredging activities preparatory to commence building construction.
Speaking on the arrest, the General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki said the suspect was arrested following a tip-off by well-meaning Lagosians on the activities of the dredgers which could lead to disaster if not properly handled.
He reiterated the need for anyone intending to commence building construction to abide by the building codes of the State which includes obtaining necessary permits and Authorisation of the property from start to finish.
Arc. Oki maintained that failure to do this would lead to the sealing of the site, outright removal, arrest and prosecution as prescribed by the law.
In a separate development, LASBCA has averted an imminent building collapse by embarking on a manual removal of a critically distressed building at 13, Rasaki Bello Street, off Alhaji Lawal Street, Ketu.
The LASBCA General Manager stated that the agency had earlier identified and listed the building amongst the 349 distressed structures published by the Agency.
He stated that the building is structurally unstable and dangerous for human habitation, hence the need to quickly evacuate the residents and begin the demolition process.
Speaking further, Oki said the weak state of the building prompted the officials of the agency to opt for manual demolition.
The General Manager of LASBCA, therefore, urged property owners and developers, especially those whose buildings are exhibiting signs of distress to carry out necessary tests in other to check the structural stability of the properties now that the rainy season is upon us.
