On Saturday, February 12, 2022 afternoon, Lagos State was hit with yet another tragic building collapse. In this case the tragedy occured in Yaba, a three-storey building under construction which collapsed at Akanbi Street, adjacent to the UNILAG main gate, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos. Reports coming in in the days since say that at least 5 unidentified bodies were recovered from the rubble.Two bodies were immediately recovered on Saturday afternoon whilst later that evening another two were recovered, by men of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Lagos State Fire Service and Rescue, Nigeria Police. However, two other victims sustained severe injuries and were subsequently rushed to the hospital.
When tragedies like this occur, it is important to look at whether laws and all regulations were complied to, if the incident could have been avoided if certain safety measures were taken or adhered to more strictly. In this case according to The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, the property developer in this case is partially to blame for the incident as he accused him of breaking the earlier “stop-work order,” seal on the property by officials of Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA. The property developer in question has been arrested since the building came down in accordance with building law of the state His name however is being withheld.
An eye witness testimony from that fatal day states that the building was giving signals that all was not right and whilst attention was brought to it, these concerns were subsequently waved off and the construction continued.
However reports have stated that all bodies have been recovered and there is no more beneath the rubble. This latest collapse has occurred only a few days after the Chairman of Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Special Investigation Panel (SIP), George Okonoma and his team, submitted a report on November 1st, 2021, 21-storey Ikoyi building collapse in Lagos to the president of COREN, Engr. Rabiu Ali. This report was delivered for the COREN president and the government to study before making it publicly available. It is now on the responsible agencies and the government to ensure the appropriate procedures are taken to ensure this does not repeat itself. Our hearts go out to all those and their loved ones who have been affected by this tragedy.
