The Lagos State Government has marked no fewer than seventeen heavily distressed buildings for immediate demolition across Alaba International market in Ojo Local Government Area of the state.

The buildings, according to Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, would be removed to avert it collapsing on the traders, to stem cases of collapsed buildings across the metropolis.

It was learnt that the state government has concluded plans to demolish this buildings before Monday.

Some of the shopping plazas marked for demolition by LASBCA were; G80 Alaba Rago road, Good season shopping complex, the building on 840 Ojo Igbede and the structure behind Oba Oseni plaza.

This buildings were identified and marked for demolition days after the government released locations of over 340 distressed buildings expected to be pulled down to save lives and property in the state.

LASBCA General Manager, Gbolahan Oki, disclosed this after officials of the agency marked the buildings for final demolition.

Oki said the buildings were discovered in 2016 by LASBCA officials who had served notices on the owners, warning that the building could cave in if subjected to any load and pressure from occupants.

He noted that all efforts by the agency to avert disaster were prevented by the owners who hired thugs to beat LASBCA officials whenever they visit the market for enforcement of Lagos property law.

According to Oki, the purpose of the exercise was to mark the buildings and ensure that they were demolished between now and Monday.

“We have officers in those vicinity who have served them severally. Despite the facts that they were served, people don’t yield to the notices. We have been serving them notices since 2016 and when we came on board we served them too. What they do whenever we go there is to send area boys to disrupt our services.

“About a month ago, we made a list of 349 distressed buildings. The properties marked are supposed to be on the list and due to the fact that they harass our staff, they are not captured on the list. They won’t allow our staff to do their jobs and that is why they are not on the list.

“So, we had to call the task force to enforce what we are supposed to do and these notices have been served them since last year and apart from that, these properties have been served since 2016. If you look at 2016 till date, that is seven years and if you look at somebody who wants to be responsible in that environment, it is enough time for them want to do the right thing, seven years is enough to rehabilitate the buildings.

“We have taken the bull by the horns and all those distressed buildings are going to go between now and Monday and that is why we called on the taskforce to be our guardian angel to provide security to make sure that the properties are brought down to save lives. That is what is paramount to the government. We have given them more than enough notices to comply and we will do the right thing,” Oki stated.

The LASBCA boss added that those distressed buildings were not supposed to be in existence, saying that government did not need to give human face to what would cause disaster to the state and the people.

“We are telling them to save their lives by moving away and if the buildings come down, they will blame government. We are not going to stop at the 17 distressed buildings, but we are moving to other localities, we have several buildings to be demolished, about 400,” he said.