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Court Convicts 53 For Erecting Unapproved Structures In Lagos

September 24, 2018

Their offences included erection of structure without a planning permit contrary to Section 27 (1) of the Law and punishable under Section 75 (1) of the same law, and breaking of government seals or removal of any mark placed on a contravening structure by or with order of the agency, punishable under Section 75 (2) of the Law.

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The Lagos State Special Offences Court at Gbolade, Oshodi, has convicted 53 persons prosecuted by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) for contravening the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law 2010.

This was made known in a statement Lekan Shodeinde, General Manager of LASBCA, on Monday.

According to NAN, the agency has issued 83 summons against the offenders, but the court convicted 53, while others are still pending in court.

Shodeinde said the offenders were being prosecuted for different contraventions and other related offences as stipulated in the building law.

He said their offences included erection of structure without a planning permit contrary to Section 27 (1) of the Law and punishable under Section 75 (1) of the same law, as well as breaking of government seals or removal of any mark placed on a contravening structure by or with order of the agency, punishable under Section 75 (2) of the Law.

He said failure to insure a building as required by the law for which the offenders were prosecuted was contrary to Section 75 (3) of the Law.

The general manager also noted that the prosecuted offenders had been convicted accordingly with an option of fine at the discretion of the court.

He said they was also a maximum fine for the recalcitrant defaulters for breaking of government seal.

He added that LASBCA had been working within the ambit of the law with the monitoring team for a better and well-planned city, noting that they also worked with developers and builders to ensure compliance with the approval granted and monitored the safety of the structure being developed.

“We are more concerned about the safety of the people making sure that where they live is safe and secured,” he said.

He reaffirmed government’s zero tolerance for building collapse in the state and the need to build right and appealed to all Lagos residents to obtain their building plan permit before the construction of any structure and comply with state laws regarding the approval given.

He also urged building owners to seize the opportunity to regularise and perfect their building documentations to avoid any embarrassment from law enforcement officers.

He said government officials of the newly reformed LASBCA are working together with the people “for their own safety and for a safer and well-planned smart city”. 

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