Abandoned properties turn criminals’ lairs in Lagos

No one ever wishes to start the construction of a building without having the ability to complete it. It is, therefore, never the intention or the dream of any builder to have his property turned into a refuse dumpsite or a rendezvous for criminally-minded individuals.
However, this unenviable status seems to be the lot of a number of uncompleted properties in Lagos State and its environs, as evident in the number of uncompleted buildings that have become hideouts for touts, street urchins, Indian hemp smokers and persons with general tendencies for crime.
Recently, Saturday Tribune got wind of a number of buildings in this category, including no fewer than five in Ikorodu, one at Oshodi, three at Abule-Egba and four in various parts of CMS on Lagos Island. Those buildings, according to information gathered, are known to be frequently occupied by persons of questionable character.
Saturday Tribune’s search was also extended to a town bordering Lagos, Ibafo in the Ifo Local Government of Ogun State, which also has an abandoned building that has become a haven of rugged-looking individuals who often converge there, especially in the evenings, to smoke Indian hemp.
The abandoned property, which is a very big house located at Ago-Igbala Bus Stop, Ibafo, was originally built as a factory; but over time, it has become a hideout for young men and women who not only engage in the act of smoking marijuana, but have also become a source of terror to residents of the community.
Many residents of the community, in apparent fear of the occupiers of the abandoned building, refused to speak with Saturday Tribune, but a resident who eventually chose to talk did so under a condition of anonymity. His fear was that occupiers of the abandoned building had informants among them.
“I understand that the building, which is so big it could be mistaken for an abandoned estate, was meant to be a manufacturing company. For years, however, it has been abandoned and has therefore turned into its current state.
“It has become an abode for Indian hemp smokers as well as the destitutes. No one dares go inside at any time; therefore, I will suggest that you think twice before you attempt to go in if you are actually considering doing so,” this was the piece of advice he offered Saturday Tribune correspondent.
The resident, who claimed to have been living in Ibafo for over five years, said further: “This abandoned property, needless to say, constitutes a security risk to the entire neighbourhood. The property owner is therefore urged to do something about it; otherwise it will be taken over by appropriate authorities.”
Only last year, the Lagos State Task Force on Environment and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit arrested 86 suspected illegal squatters, food vendors and aliens in the Ikoyi area of the state for allegedly having no definite residential address or means of livelihood.
According to information, the arrest followed complaints by residents of the area about the presence of illegal squatters in uncompleted buildings and makeshift shops.
Reports made available by security agencies had suggested that the squatters were classified as security risk.
Those arrested were also found in abandoned houses and shops, and included food vendors and aliens. They were suspected to be part of the criminal gangs that had been terrorising Ikoyi residents for quite some time.
In the meantime, in a bid to rid the state of criminals, the Lagos State government has ceaselessly urged residents to be more security-conscious and report activities in abandoned and uncompleted buildings in their neighbourhood to the appropriate authorities.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Toyin Ayinde, in a recent statement, said such buildings often served as the haven for miscreants, armed robbers and other mischievous people.
He insisted that such observations and reports would help the government to reduce crime to the barest minimum, and that it would also expose distressed buildings as well as those that contravened building plans in the state.
“The buildings, apart from serving as hideouts for miscreants, also posed threat to lives and property in view of their dilapidated condition.
“Government is mindful of the dangers involved in building collapses, especially in cases when they lead to loss of lives and properties, and will therefore take pre-emptive measures to avoid such situations.
“Once the government is aware of the existence of such buildings, it will make the necessary investigations. Those that have been abandoned for up to five years could be demolished,” Mr Ayinde remarked.