The Lagos State Government has advised owners of uncompleted or abandoned buildings in the state to ensure that they secure such buildings or face sanctions if it is discovered that such buildings are occupied by miscreants or used for unlawful acts.
During a briefing of Government House correspondents after the State Security Council meeting, Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, said the meeting discussed security situation, crime management, law enforcement and traffic management within the state and other issues, with a way to finding lasting solutions to them.
He said the meeting examined the security implication of uncompleted and abandoned buildings and the increase in the number of people that were illegally residing in so many of the uncompleted property around estates in Lagos.
“We have looked at areas where we are winning, areas where we need to make more efforts and especially at the security implication of the security implication of the influx of people into Lagos State in large numbers, the security implication of so many houses, uncompleted and abandoned buildings and the increase in the number of people that are getting into so many estates in Lagos,” Owoseni stated.
While warning owners of abandoned buildings, he said government had resolved to enforce existing laws to the letter, and ensure that miscreants, who utilised such uncompleted buildings to perpetrate unlawful activities, were brought to book.
“Of course, decision has been taken that the owners of abandoned or uncompleted buildings that do not have anything to do with them and that are not securing them; that have allowed people, who have been infiltrating into Lagos to occupy, and for miscreants to use for illegal activities, that we are going to now address the situation to see how we can make owners of such property to be accountable,” the police commissioner added.
Owoseni reiterated the determination of the Police to continue to arrest miscreants while conscious efforts will be made to engage and educate owners of such property that employ some of them as security guards and who were not conscious of the security risk they constitute.