Homeowners and land allottees in Alma Beach Estate, Lekki have raised the alarm over the ongoing construction of several buildings without government permit by suspected land grabbers terrorising their community with hired policemen and thugs.
They called for urgent intervention of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to stop the illegal activities of the trespassers, who they accused of distorting the estate master plan with their indiscriminate building construction activities under the cover of darkness and police protection.
The property owners had in a letter to the Lagos State Building Control Agency signed by Dr. Olumide Famuyiwa alerted the regulatory body to the threat such development poses to residents and safety within the estate.
According to them: “We write to request the urgent intervention of your good office for stoppage of all ongoing illegal building construction works at Alma Beach Estate. These construction activities being undertaken without LASG building permit have great potential to deface the entire neighborhood and distort the Alma Beach Estate Master Plan (copy attached), which is lodged at the office of the Surveyor-General of Lagos State.
“Several bonafide plot allottees in Alma Beach Estate that are desirous to commence the development of their plots have expressed great concern about these illegal activities which could adversely impact the value of their properties and are demanding that we take steps to put an end to it.
“These bonafide assignees and lessees have duly registered their several interests with the Lagos State Government and obtained Lagos State Governor’s consent, and have also obtained or processing the requisite Lagos State Government building construction permits for their respective plots.
“To prevent this impending disaster, we therefore respectfully request that you should please cause officers from your Agency to conduct a thorough verification building permits and survey plans for on-going building construction works at Alma Beach Estate with a view to stoppage and sealing of all building construction sites without a genuine building permit and survey plan.”
Speaking on the concern of the homeowners and allottees, their lawyer, Dr Muiz Banire, SAN said it is absurd for trespassers to be building on other peoples’ lands without any authentic survey plan or building approval while government officials saddled with the responsibility of stopping such anomaly look the other way.
“I want to believe Governor Sanwo-Olu has not been properly briefed on the kind of lawlessness going on in Alma Beach estate, otherwise those sabotaging due process and making a mess of his administration should be facing the music by now.
“How can legal allotters with registered government titles and approved building plans through which the state had earned revenues be prevented from accessing their properties while land grabbers who have no legal titles or any government approval be having a field day?” the senior lawyer questioned.