The Lagos State Government has evacuated residents from distressed buildings in Surulere and Apapa.
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) carried out the operation at No. 28 and 20 Ramlat Timson Street, Coker Aguda, Surulere, and a property on Oloko Dana Street, Abule Nla, Apapa.
The development was announced via a tweet on the official X (formerly Twitter) account of LASBCA on Tuesday.
The buildings were identified as structurally unsafe, posing significant risks to their occupants.
“Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) evacuate occupants from distressed buildings at No. 28 and 20 Ramlat Timson Street, Coker Aguda, Surulere, and on Oloko Dana Street, Abule Nla, Apapa, Lagos State,” the tweet read.
The tweet included several pictures and a video showcasing the dire condition of the distressed buildings from which occupants were evacuated.
In the video, the cantilever of a residential storey building displayed visible and alarming cracks, with exposed reinforcement rods due to significant cement erosion.
The same footage also captured a LASBCA official tugging on a two-storey building in the compound, causing a section of the cement to crumble with minimal effort, further highlighting its precarious state.
The accompanying pictures provided additional evidence of structural distress. One image showed windows of a one-storey building on the verge of detachment, while another depicted signs of unauthorized alterations to a two-storey building. In the latter, sections of the first and second floors appeared to have undergone modifications, with former windows being partitioned for a different purpose.
What you should know
The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has intensified efforts to address structures across the state that fail to meet safety and construction standards.
- These initiatives include sealing properties found to be in violation of approved standards, evacuating occupants from distressed buildings to avert potential loss of lives and property, and demolishing structures deemed too weak to remain standing.
- In addition to these measures, LASBCA actively supervises ongoing building projects across the state to ensure compliance with approved building plans, aiming to uphold construction standards and prevent future hazards.
- For instance, in October, LASBCA evacuated occupants from a critically distressed building in Gbagada to avert an imminent collapse and safeguard lives and property.
Similarly, just weeks ago, the agency issued an ultimatum to residents of over 15 identified distressed buildings at Iponri Housing Estate, mandating them to pull down the unsafe structures.
These proactive actions highlight LASBCA’s commitment to ensuring the safety of residents and maintaining the structural integrity of buildings across Lagos State.
