The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Tuesday said the recent demolition of 13 houses, which included that of the former editor of The Guardian on Saturday Felix Abugu, in Ajao Estate, Isolo, Lagos was done because they posed “grave dangers” to the operations of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Mr Abugu’s demolished property was valued at N70 million. Speaking with fellow journalists in Lagos, he lamented that his family is now homeless due to the demolition.
Explaining its side of the story, the acting spokesperson of FAAN Faithful Hope-Ivbaze said in a statement that “it is important to state clearly that the area of land presently housing the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos was acquired for public use by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Lands Acquisition Ordinance by FGN Official Gazettes in 1944, 1972, and 1975 respectively.
“Sometimes in the year 2000, the Authority noticed some encroachments within its acquired land in Lagos and a committee was set up to investigate and compel those encroaching to cease and desist from such actions.
“The committee thus put up ‘Caveat Emptors’ and positioned them strategically within the areas under encroachment (they are still in place). Publications were done in national dailies and advertorial jingles in local radio stations, warning people of the risks in purchasing and building on Restricted Aviation Land without consideration to the direct dangers on aircraft operations and the building occupants themselves.
“These warnings were not heeded. In 2008, some residents of Ajao axis of the encroached land, under the aegis of ‘Runview Cooperative’ approached the Authority for regularisation of their stay on the land.
“To avoid a situation of wanton damage and colossal losses, the present administration on assuming office, inaugurated a ‘Regularization Committee on FAAN Encroached Lands and Property.’ The committee was charged with finding ways of identifying and regularizing only those properties located in positions that do not pose direct and critical challenges to airport safety and security.
“The FAAN directorates of Airport Operations and Aviation security commenced stakeholders’ engagements and met severally with the residents of the Ajao axis (all meetings recorded and filed) bringing to their knowledge the dangers of erecting houses on pipelines, waterways and the airport’s perimeter fence (blocking access for security patrols). Most of the residents cooperated, except for the few who ignored and continued erecting their structures in the ‘RED ZONES’.
“In the committee’s report submitted in 2022, out of 254 buildings evaluated, 220 buildings were recommended for regularisation, as they pose no direct/critical security and safety challenges to the Airport. They have been duly regularised.
“The 34 others that were built within FAAN’s perimeter fence and mostly erected above the aviation fuel pipeline and waterways, clearly posing direct safety and security challenges to the Airport as well as to their owners/ occupants themselves were marked for demolition.
“The occupants of these buildings were duly notified of the impending demolitions, and intensive awareness campaign through ‘stop work’ markings and planting of notice boards within the Red Zone.”
Hope-Ivbaze noted that FAAN wrote to the Lagos State Government in September 2022 to help in conducting the exercise, adding that the removal of illegal structures is also scheduled to be carried out at all other airports that have similar challenges.
“The Authority hereby uses this opportunity to advise all illegal occupants to relocate from all airport lands for their own safety and security,” the statement added.
