L-R: Adindu Ugwuzor, Edetean Ojo, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, SAN, Femi Falana, SAN, Lanre Arogundade, Richard Akinnola and Dr Femi Aborishade
By Ayo Kehinde
Associates and friends of late legal luminary, Chief Gani Fawehinmi (SAN) have called for the demolition of a four-story apartment building constructed right next to his family house in GRA, Ikeja. They said the building poses as a threat to the lives and property of his family.
Speaking at a press conference During a press conference held at the home of late Fawehinmi on Friday , the coalition include human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adindu Ugwuzor, Richard Akinnola, Edetaen Ojo, Bayo Alabidun, Lanre Arogundade and Femi Aborisade, the associates accused the owners of the apartment building of disregarding the laws and guidelines governing real estate development in Lagos State and putting the lives and property of the late Chief Gani’s family members at risk.
The apartment building was erected right by the fence protecting the front part of Chief Gani’s house in Ikeja GRA.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Olumide-Fusika, said, “An individual or group of individuals, acting in utter contempt of the rules and regulations guiding property development in Lagos State have decided to erect a four- story hotel- a so-called apartment right by the fence protecting the front part of the Chief Gani’s house in Ikeja GRA.” He further mentioned how a 1000-litre water tank had fallen three times into the compound, each time posing grave risk to the lives of the Fawehinmi’s.
“Asides from the fact that the fence protecting Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s house faces imminent collapse, we wish to inform you that a 1000-litre capacity water tank installed right on top of this four-story structure has thrice collapsed and fallen into Chief Gani Fawehinmi’s compound from this same apartment. We are fortunate that no one has so far been hurt or killed as a result of these incidents. But these repeated incidents themselves show without doubt how dangerously close this structure is to Chief Gani’s house and demonstrates the critical nature of these issues as the lives of Chief Gani’s family members are indeed in clear danger, ” he said.
Olumide-Fusika, expressed his disappointment with the ineffectiveness of construction companies.
He said, “You see uniforms all over the place, the police, the local government, yet there’s no security anywhere. How can we have all these agencies in Lagos State set up to prevent this kind of development, yet they happen every day. This is just one out of many.”
Falana also recounted an incident in which one of Chief Gani’s sons’ claimed that the compound was cluttered with debris from the apartment building. He reiterated that no one is above the law and building regulations must be enforced hence the demolition of the building.
Following these incidents, the group gave three reasons why the apartment building should be demolished; that the building should be pulled down because it violates the Lagos State urban development and building regulations, which stipulate that there must be a minimum of three meters space between structures, it could serve as a safe haven for anyone with malicious intent against the family and it poses as a permanent threat to the security and safety of lives and property in Chief Gani’s house.
The group further demanded that the Lagos State Government look into who approved the construction of the apartment and mete out the proper punishment.
