Property Demolitions: What Should you know?
At Ramos Real Estate, we pride ourselves in being your go-to resource for all information on real estate. Here in this First Issue of our newsletter: The Real Estate Gazette, we will be discussing the following:
- Property demolitions in Lagos this year
- Property demolitions in Abuja this year
- Reasons for demolitions
- What should you know?
Property Demolitions in Lagos this year
Since the beginning of the year, we have heard of a number of property demolitions in various areas in Lagos. Scary right? Here is a quick scoop:
- Ajao Estate: In May 2023, the Lagos State government demolished 13 residential buildings at Rockview Street, Ajao Estate, Lagos. The reasons for this were that “the houses were illegally constructed along fuel pipelines and did not have planning permits before they were built.” These houses were closely located to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, and would have appeared to be of immense investment value to its owners. However, all investment on these were clearly lost due to illegality of construction process.
- Oworonshoki: In August, just about 3 months after the Ajao Estate demolitions, the Lagos State government demolished over 90 homes in Oworonshoki, Kosofe Local government council. Stated reasons include checking flooding and other environmental degradation along the riverbank. Other reasons were that the “makeshift buildings” had become a hub for criminals, which poses a threat to residents.
- Ikoyi: More recently this week, The Lagos State Government has confirmed that it will begin the removal of perimeter fences within 2 metres of drainage channels on Norman Williams, Awolowo, and Ribadu roads in the Ikoyi axis of the state.
- Lekki: In October, the Lagos State government commenced the demolition of buildings erected on drainage channels in Lekki Phase 2. The total worth of these buildings were over 1 billion naira.
Property Demolitions in Abuja this year
Now, let’s move to the nation’s capital, Abuja, bustling with emerging innovative real estate projects. This is a scoop of what we have so far:
- Apo District: In August, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) confirmed marking 500 illegal houses for demolition at Dutsen-Garki in the Apo District of Abuja. Cited reasons include that many house owners often bought properties from natives without consulting the FCTA.
- Gishiri District: In July, the FCTA stormed the Gishiri community in the Katampe District of Abuja. With over 100 structures removed, stated reasons for demolition were that the houses were illegally acquired.
With the new administration, the ministry has declared plans to continue demolition efforts on illegally acquired lands within the FCT.
Reasons for Demolitions
From the economic city of Lagos to Abuja, the bustling capital, the major reason for house demolition was illegal acquisition. This illegal acquisition of lands and houses often occurs due to fraud or negligence in conducting proper search and confirmation before the purchase of a property. Now what do you do?
What You Can Do Before a Purchase
- Conduct a Site Visit: Whether it’s a house or land, a crucial step is visiting the property physically to assess the location, accessibility, proximity to drainage facilities, proximity to the road network, and potential developments in the area.
- Verify Property Ownership and Documents: This can not be overstated. It is necessary to engage a reputable lawyer to vet all title documents, ensuring genuineness and freedom from legal disputes.
- Land Verification and search at the State’s registry: Beyond vetting the title documents, it is essential to also confirm the accuracy of the property boundaries, survey, and land ownership with a trusted lawyer.
- Employ the services of a Trusted Real Estate Agency: Well, you already know who to call. Contact Ramos Real Estate if you have any questions or concerns.
- Tel: +2348133355522
- Instagram: Ramos of Lagos realty
