Lagos Assembly Begins Investigation After 300 Residents Lost Buildings To Demolition

The Lagos State House of Assembly has begun investigation into the circumstances that led to the demolition of houses in the Kosofe area of the state by the State Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit known as Taskforce recently.

An Ad hoc committee of the House set up to Investigate the demolition, visited the affected area on Tuesday, and pleaded with the victims to maintain peace while the issue is investigated.

The House had last week ordered the state Taskforce to stop the demolition of houses in the LGA, following a ‘Matter of Urgent Public Importance’ raised by Sanni Okanlawon.

According to Okanlawon, the demolition affected Omolabake, Gandonu and Coker Estate in the LGA, adding that over 300 people have lost their buildings, properties and sources of livelihood.

To this end, the Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, set up a five-member Ad-hoc committee to investigate the matter and report to the House in two weeks.

The leader of the committee, Nureni Akinsanya told the victims that the members were at the scene to see the extent of the demolition, noting that all those involved in the act would be invited.

He stated that officials of the Community Development Committee (CDC) and the Community Development Area (CDA) in the area would also be invited, and urged the residents to provide the committee with any information needed to help with the investigation.

Akinsanya said: “We are at the scene at the behest of the speaker who shares his pain and had asked the agency to stop the demolition with immediate effect.

“We are also at the scene to see the extent of the demolition and to know the number of victims that are involved in the exercise.”

Speaking on behalf of the affected residents, Olarenwaju Olusegun, a resident of the community, said they would be glad if there is a provision for the children whose schools were also demolished.

Olusegun promised that the community will continue to be law abiding residents of the state.