Protecting human life is paramount. With the Mopol 20 Barracks in Ikeja teetering on the edge of collapse, the Lagos State Government has taken decisive action, ordering its demolition to safeguard residents, police personnel, and the surrounding community from imminent danger.

The Lagos State Government has raised the alarm over an imminent building collapse at the Mopol 20 Barracks, Onigbongbo, in the Ikeja area of the state.

This is as the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency is set to begin an emergency evacuation and demolition of the old Block 3 part of the barracks.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Permanent Secretary of LASEMA, Damilola Oke-Osanyintolu, said its response team had assessed some parts of the structure and found them in a precarious condition.

The LASEMA boss stated that the building and adjacent structures would also be evacuated immediately to prevent any loss of life or property.

“The agency dispatched a response team to the location, and the findings indicate that the building and those adjacent must be evacuated with immediate effect. We are conducting a response plan, which comprises an assessment, safe and orderly evacuation, and controlled demolition.

“Under the watchful eye of the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu administration, we will be carrying out this preemptive demolition action due to the precarious conditions of the building and possible secondary incidents that could occur if left unmanaged,” the statement partly read.

Oke-Osanyintolu, however, urged members of the public within the vicinity to remain calm and refrain from spreading misinformation on social media.

He also assured the public that the situation was being closely monitored and managed.