Ajao Estate and Shasha structures were struck by agents of the federal and state governments of Lagos last week, and a total of 13 homes that were allegedly built illegally near the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Isolo, were knocked down.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, led by Hycienth Ngwu, general manager of business development for FAAN, and Gbolahan Oki, director of LASBCA, addressed the media before beginning the gruesome task and defended their course of action.
The homes, according to Oki, were erected without valid permissions. Others lacked the necessary plan approvals. They were purportedly constructed near pipelines that carried aviation fuel to the airports, putting people’s lives and property at risk from explosions.
The land belonged to FAAN, according to Ngwu. It was purchased so that the airport could be developed, but some construction workers trespassed on it. Years of warnings to stop building close to the airport’s perimeter fences have gone unheeded.