677 Houses in Festac Lagos to be Demolished by FG

The Federal Housing Authority, FHA, which is an agency of the Federal government, has announced its intentions to completely demolish 677 houses, while 744 others are set to be partially demolished due to a developer’s infringement in Phase 2, Festac Town, Amuwo-Odofin area of Lagos State.

During an on-the-spot assessment of the affected areas, FHA’s Southwest Zonal Manager, Mr. Akintola Olagbemiro, revealed the plans.

Olagbemiro expressed his dismay at developers constructing structures in swampy areas without meeting the required standards, despite receiving letters and attending stakeholders’ meetings.

The FHA Zonal Manager stated, “After numerous efforts to gain access to the property belonging to FHA, which we identified as Festac Phase 2, encroachment and illegal development have occurred, transforming the area into a slum.”

Meanwhile, the Deputy General Manager, FHA, Urban and Regional Planning, Southwest, Francisca Michael-James, bemoaned the developers’ defiance of directives to halt construction.

She mentioned that the agency has enlisted security backup and is preparing to commence the demolition of the affected houses.

Regarding the punishment for violators, she explained, “According to the law, if we demolish, we are supposed to penalise the building owner and charge for the cost of carrying out the operation. If any building were to collapse, the landlord would be charged with manslaughter. To prevent that scenario, we aim to carry out the enforcement soon. The first step will be to clear the road; some buildings will be partially demolished for the right of way. A total of 677 houses will be demolished, and 744 will be partially demolished.”