Edo State Government has demolished T. Latifa Hotel owned by Mr. Tony Adun also known as Kabaka, for violating building laws as the structure sits across a road in the Ugbor-Amagba axis of Oredo Local Government Area of the state.
The hotel building was reduced to rubbles on Wednesday afternoon, after an injunction secured by Mr. Adun against the exercise was vacated by the state government.
The government penciled the structure for demolition, as it was illegal, without an approved building plan for a hotel and sitting across a road.
The deed of transfer being paraded by Mr. Adun is also not registered with the state government, according to court papers filed by Solicitor General of Edo State, Oluwole Iyamu SAN.
Bulldozers and caterpillars were mobilized to the site for the exercise while security operatives mounted guard to ensure the process was not disrupted by thugs in the area loyal to Mr. Adun.
The leader of the security team cordoned off the area and urged residents and shop owners around the area not to panic while the exercise lasted.
Edo govt reads riot act, commences statewide demolition of illegal structures, others
Meanwhile, Edo State Government has commenced statewide demolition of illegal structures, reading a riot act to defaulters of building codes and those who have encroached on government property to remove their structures or face the dire consequences.
In a statement, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Hon. Paul Ohonbamu, said demolition of illegal structures became imperative as defaulters and violators have failed to heed several notices issued them.
According to him, “The Edo State Government has commenced the demolition of illegal structures across the state to bring sanity to urban areas and restore government property to their original uses. The flagrant disregard of building codes and respect for extant laws guarding property development needed to be checked, hence the exercise.
“The process has commenced in earnest in different parts of the state and those with structures on unapproved sites or without necessary building plans are hereby put on notice. We warn all those who have built on roads, Right of Way (RoW), school property and on Federal and State governments’ land to remove the property immediately as demolition of such buildings statewide has commenced.”
He added that the state notices served on the defaulters still subsists, noting that whoever is caught violating the law will face the dire consequences.
The Commissioner said the state government had issued warnings on the defaulters severally and would not tolerate disruption of the exercise as enough leeway was allowed for the violators to do the needful by removing the illegal structures.
