The Lagos State government has directed occupants of identified distressed buildings in the state to evacuate immediately.
Oluyinka Olumide, the state commissioner for physical planning and urban development, issued the directive on Friday as a three-floor building with a penthouse caved in at Lagos Street by Herbert Macauley, Ebute-Metta.
Speaking at the site of the incident, the Olumide, who was accompanied by Olamide Babatunde, the special adviser e-GIS and urban development, and Oluwole Sotire, the permanent secretary in the ministry, among others, said that the building, having been marked distressed, was partially demolished by LASBCA after serving the statutory notices, including evacuation notice.
He noted that he recently supervised the marking and service of notices to a number of distressed buildings in the Ebute-Metta area.
Olumide said that it was appalling that people would refuse to evacuate distressed buildings after being officially asked to do so.
“I deeply sympathise with the casualties but remain puzzled at why people would choose to stay in a distressed building, in spite of the serious danger to lives and property,” he said.
The commissioner called on occupants of all distressed buildings in the state to vacate immediately as the government would be more stringent in the application of physical planning laws.
It could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report the number of casualties, as rescue operations are ongoing.
