Ohanaeze Seeks Compensation For Demolished Structures At Alaba Market In Lagos

The Lagos State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has called for full compensation of owners of the 17 distressed structures demolished by the state government at Alaba International Market, located in Ojo LGA of the state.

This is as the sociocultural group also punctured claims by some traders in the market that the buildings were demolished because Igbos did not vote for the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in the 2023 governorship election.

According to Ohanaeze, the demolition of the buildings had no political undertone, adding that vacation notices were given beforehand to the occupants.

However, speaking with THE WHISTLER on Monday, the President of Ohanaeze in the state, Chief Ogbonna Aguene, argued that there have not been any incident of building collapse at Alaba International Market, stressing that for that reason, the owners should be compensated.

“Those are very common people. Some of them did it ignorantly, but ignorance is not an excuse to the law. But there’re somethings you can consider people (based on the fact that Nigeria is still a third world country), so mistake can be allowed,” Aguene said.

“My appeal is that Lagos state should consider those that were affected that have CofO,” noting that owners of the buildings should be paid “full compensation.”

“They’ve added a lot to the development of Lagos State,” the president who explained that the state government is receptive to Ndigbo said.

THE WHISTLER recalls that the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) had on Sunday, demolished the 17 distressed structures.

On Friday, LASBCA had given final warnings and vacation notices to the occupants of the affected buildings.

According to LASBCA, vacation notices were first issued in 2016, noting that others were issued in 2020, 2022 and 2023.

“These buildings marked within this ALABA International Market would have been included in the list of 349 distressed buildings earlier published in different national newspapers this year but because the occupants were always harassing our officers, it was impossible to capture the details of the structures and include them in the publication,” the General Manager of LASBCA, Arc. Gbolahan Oki, had said on Friday.

“What we have done now is a joint exercise carried out by both the Lagos Task Force officers and the demolition gang of Lagos State Building Control Agency. The buildings would be demolished”, he noted.

Acknowledging the impact the demolition of the distressed buildings, which were used for commercial purpose would have on commercial activities within the market, Oki had said the buildings had to go to avoid putting the lives of innocent persons at risk.

“We know that this area is a commercial centre and one of the busiest markets in Lagos State but despite this, we cannot fold our arms and allow irregularities to continue to thrive in the market where the lives of innocent persons would be put at risk because of the failure of a few set of individuals who have refused to do the needful,” he had said.

The demolition at Alaba International Market came just over a week that LASBCA removed 15 illegal attachments at Divine Homes Estate, located in Thomas Estate, Ajah, in Eti-Osa LGA of the state.