The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has ordered all illegal occupants to relocate from all airport lands for their own safety and security.
According to Mrs. Faithful A. Hope-Ivbaze, Ag General
Manager, Corporate Affairs of FAAN, 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.
She said, however, that 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.
Making further clarifications, she said, “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.”
Unfortunately, these warnings were not heeded, until 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 a direct and critical challenges to airport
safety and Security.” She explained.
She said 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, water ways 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 regualarised.
The 34 others that were built within FAAN’s perimeter fence
and mostly erected above the aviation fuel pipeline and water ways, 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.
In Sept 2022, FAAN wrote to LASG for their cooperation in
conducting this exercise in the interest of Aviation and Communal Safety and
Security.
The removal of illegal structures is also scheduled to be
carried out at all other airports that have similar challenges, Hope-Ivbaze,
explained.
The Authority further advised all illegal occupants to
relocate from all airports lands for their own safety and security.