Residents of Apapa Road in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area of Lagos State have accused the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) of colluding with certain individuals to forcefully eject them and demolish their residential building.

They also accused LASBCA of disregarding a court restraining order to maintain the status quo pending compliance with the Lagos State High Court Practice Direction No. 2 of 2019 on pre-action protocol.

The residents appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to intervene and address the alleged excesses of the Building Control Agency, as well as exploitative landlords and property developers using the agency to further their selfish aims.

Citing the economic hardship in the country, one of the tenants, Saheed Adebayo, pleaded for relief, noting that some tenants have valid tenancy agreements running until 2026.

Explaining the situation, Adebayo said, ?On November 5, we received a contravention notice from LASBCA for a distressed structure.

?A week later, we got another notice ordering us to quit the property. We suspected foul play and informed the landlord, but he kept silent.

?We decided to visit the LASBCA district office, where we met Arc. Jide Ololade, who said the issue concerned the landlord and not the tenants. To address the situation, we hired a lawyer to mediate with the agency.

?After our lawyer?s intervention, LASBCA issued a 7-day quit notice, claiming the property was distressed and marked for demolition. How can a building be marked for demolition without undergoing any test?

?This is a conspiracy and an ill-intentioned plan to evict us. We appeal to the government to intervene because many of us have valid tenancy agreements until January 2026.

?Forcing us out would worsen the already dire economic situation and render us homeless,? they alleged.

Speaking on behalf of the aggrieved residents, Lagos-based lawyer Muftau Sanusi also called on Governor Sanwo-Olu to hold LASBCA officials accountable for allegedly plotting to displace law-abiding citizens.

He said, ?It is disheartening to see a government agency being used to terrorize innocent, law-abiding residents.

?These tenants earn their living responsibly, yet developers, in collaboration with LASBCA officials, are trying to render them homeless despite having valid rent agreements till 2026.?

In an affidavit of urgency filed at the High Court in Lagos, one of the residents, Ibrahim Alao, alleged that the landlord and other defendants attempted to raise the rent, which the tenants rejected.

This rejection, he claimed, led LASBCA to label the property as distressed to forcefully eject the tenants.

The affidavit stated, ?The 1st and 4th defendants lease the property to the applicants and myself annually. In October 2024, the 1st and 4th defendants approached me and other tenants for a rent increase, but we could not agree.

?The defendants colluded with LASBCA officials to label the property as distressed, intending to forcefully eject us.

?When I engaged the defendants, I emphasized that the property was not distressed but in good condition.

?Despite this, in August 2024, the 1st and 3rd defendants accompanied by thugs threatened to evict us illegally. I immediately involved my solicitors, who issued a pre-action letter to the defendants,? it added.

The residents are now seeking the intervention of the state government to ensure fairness, transparency, and protection of their rights as lawful tenants. (Nigerian Tribune)

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