Two killed, four trapped as 7-storey building collapses in Lagos

 

 

 

IBRAHIM QUADRI

 

At least two persons feared dead when a seven-storey building under construction collapsed at Oba Idowu Oniru Street by Ave Maria Hospital, near Sandfield Bus Stop, Lekki, Lagos.

 

According to the Public Affairs Officer of  Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Nosa Okunbo “Two male commodities have been recovered under the rubble and bagged. Search and rescue still ongoing.”

 

 

The incident occurred Sunday morning and rescue operation was onging as of the time filing this report.

 

Daily Champion learnt that the building was under construction when it collapsed.

 

It was not immediately clear the cause of the collapse but emergency workers and security operatives have already moved to site to possibly rescue the trapped victims.

 

Permanent Secretary (PS), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu and Lagos Territorial Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Ibrahim Farinloye both confirmed the incident.

 

They also confirmed that six persons were trapped and assured search and rescue operations have commenced at the site.

 

 

The Lagos State Government has ordered arrest of the developer and building professionals working on the seventh-floor structure that collapsed in the early hours on Sunday.

 

A statement by Mr Mukaila Sanusi, spokesperson, Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, said the building, under construction, was located at Oba Abiodun Oniru Road, Iru/Victoria Island area.

 

The Commissioner in the Ministry, Dr Idris Salako, gave the order during his visit to the collapsed building site.

 

 

Salako said that the developer and professionals were liable because they  did not regard the planning laws of the state.

 

According to him, this is having embarked on construction without a valid planning permit and ignoring official warnings against continuing the building works.

 

He said that under no circumstances should anyone construe the filling of application for permit through the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority as a ticket to start construction.

 

He said: “There must be a valid planning permit from the aforementioned agency in addition to letter of authorisation and stage inspection at every stage and certification by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).

 

“This will ensure that construction works are carried out in conformity with the approval granted”.

 

The commissioner, however, said that the Police had started a manhunt for the developer, architects, builders and engineers involved in the project while the government was investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse,

 

He expressed worry over increasing disregard for law and order by actors in the built environment, adding that government was determined to restore sanity and orderliness to the sector.

 

He also said that the state government had declared incidents of building collapse intolerable.

 

Salako urged Lagos residents to join hands with the government to maintain vigilance in the built environment by reporting any illegal developments in their vicinity.

 

He added that infractions should be reported through any ministry or state government communication channels, particularly the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development APP and LASBCA.

 

In another development, Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the killing of Mr Gbenga Olofinmoyegun, a Director in the Ondo State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) who was declared missing on Thursday.

 

The command spokesperson, SP Funmilayo Odunlami, said in Akure on Sunday, that the mutilated corpse of the director was found on Saturday in Akure.

 

According to her,  the deceased was identified by some people through the suit he wore before he went missing.

 

 

“Yesterday afternoon, somebody called to inform us that a decomposing corpse was found at Saint Theresa, close to St. Peter in Akure.

 

“When the police got there to remove the corpse, some people came around and identified him as the director we have been searching for in the past three days.

 

“It was his suit they used to identify him, but his head has been cut off and his chest ripped open while his intestine was removed,” Odunlami said.

 

The police spokesperson said that investigation was continuing to unravel the circumstances behind the killing of the director.

 

“Investigation has started, his phone was left behind and some other things too. So, we are going to work with what we have to know if he had issues with anybody.

 

“And may be it’s a ritual case, but it is investigation that will reveal all these,” the PPRO said.