Structural cracks: LASBCA pulls down six-flat building in Abesan Estate (Video)

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has demolished a distressed six-flat residential building at Abesan Low Cost Housing Estate in Ipaja, Lagos, following the discovery of severe structural cracks that raised fears of an imminent collapse.

The demolition, carried out on Saturday evening, came hours after the agency declared the property unsafe, evacuated residents, and sealed off the building to prevent any loss of life.

The affected property, identified as Block 341, Sector 21 of the estate, developed extensive cracks in the early hours of Saturday, causing panic among occupants and neighbouring residents.

The emergency action followed an earlier assessment by LASBCA officials, who concluded that the structure had become severely distressed and posed a significant danger to human lives.

Residents said occupants immediately abandoned the building after noticing widening cracks across parts of the structure. Concerned neighbours also alerted others living nearby and advised everyone to vacate the premises while emergency authorities were contacted.

Officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency later arrived at the estate, cordoned off the area and, after completing safety assessments, demolished the building to eliminate the risk of a sudden collapse.

No casualty was recorded in the incident, as all occupants had vacated the six-flat building before demolition commenced.

The swift evacuation and demolition prevented what residents described as a potential tragedy in one of Lagos’ oldest public housing estates.

Reacting to the incident, President of the Abesan Estate Residents Association (AERA), Shina Dare, said he received an emergency call shortly after the cracks were discovered and immediately visited the location to assess the extent of the damage.

READ ALSO: Lagos seals distressed building in Abesan Estate as experts warn on ageing structures(Video)

According to him, the visible condition of the building justified the government’s decision to seal and eventually demolish the structure.

“I received a call early this morning and immediately visited the building. From what I saw, it was obvious that the structure was distressed. The decision by LASBCA to seal the building was a precautionary measure aimed at protecting lives,” Dare said.

He praised the prompt intervention by LASBCA, noting that early action prevented a possible building collapse that could have resulted in fatalities.

Dare lamented that the residents’ association had repeatedly sensitised property owners within the estate on the importance of regular building maintenance and timely structural repairs.

He explained that many of the buildings in Abesan Estate were constructed several decades ago and now require periodic structural assessments to remain safe for habitation.

“We have consistently advised residents to reinforce weakened foundations where necessary, carry out regular maintenance and promptly address visible structural defects. Unfortunately, many property owners ignore these warnings until serious problems emerge,” he stated.

The AERA president also attributed the increasing cases of distressed buildings within the estate to widespread structural alterations carried out by successive property owners.

According to him, several government-built apartments have been extensively modified beyond their original approved architectural designs without proper professional supervision.

“One of the major factors contributing to the distressed condition of some of these buildings is the indiscriminate reconstruction and alteration of the original government-approved designs. In many cases, new owners have carried out structural modifications without adequate professional guidance, and this has compromised the integrity of several buildings,” he added.

Structural engineers have repeatedly warned that ageing residential buildings require regular integrity assessments to detect hidden defects before they become life-threatening.

They note that visible warning signs such as wall cracks, foundation settlement, beam deflection, and separation between walls and columns should never be ignored, as they often indicate progressive structural failure.

Experts also caution against removing load-bearing walls, adding extra loads, or carrying out renovations without the approval and supervision of qualified structural professionals, stressing that such alterations can significantly weaken buildings originally designed for specific structural loads.

Following Saturday’s demolition, Dare urged residents across Abesan Estate to remain vigilant and promptly report any signs of structural distress in their buildings.

He advised homeowners and landlords to engage qualified structural engineers immediately whenever cracks, wall separation, foundation movement or other signs of deterioration become visible.

The demolition underscores Lagos State’s continued enforcement of building safety regulations aimed at preventing avoidable building collapses, particularly in older residential estates where ageing infrastructure and unauthorized modifications have heightened structural risks.