Alakija Building Collapse: Sanwo-Olu orders demolition of distressed structures, to prosecute owner

BY BENJAMIN OMOIKE

Lagos State Government will demolish all buildings marked as distressed around the collapsed 3-storey building at Alakija, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said yesterday.

 

Speaking during an inspection tour of the site on Friday, Commissioner for Information and Strategy Mr Gbenga Omotoso, who represented Governor Sanwo-Olu, sympathised with the families of the victims and praised emergency responders for their swift intervention.

 

According to the Commissioner, 27 people were rescued alive from the rubble. Nine died.

The search and rescue operation lasted all night. Still at the site are Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA),the Police, Command and Control Centre, Neighborhood Watch and other agencies.

 

“Governor Sanwo-Olu is saddened by this incident. He sends his condolences,” Omotoso said, adding: “ This should not have happened, if people had obeyed the law instead of prioritizing livelihoods over lives. The collapsed building had been marked as structurally distressed and occupants were directed to vacate the premises, but the warning was ignored.”

 

“All other buildings already marked as unsafe within the area will be demolished to prevent similar tragedies and avoid a compromise of the lives of others around.

 

“27 people were rescued alive, while 9 casualties were recorded during the search and rescue. Governor Sanwo-Olu commiserates with the families who lost their loved ones,” Omotoso said.

 

The Commissioner also promised that owners of the collapsed building would be prosecuted by the state. Anyone found to have violated building regulations or frustrated enforcement efforts will surely face legal action,”he said.

 

Omotoso condemned the construction of buildings beneath high-tension electricity lines, describing the practice as “dangerous” and “suicidal”.

 

According to the commissioner, the cause of the collapse is being investigated. Survivors are receiving treatment at various hospitals.

 

“Owners of the collapsed and other distressed buildings will be prosecuted for culpability in the incident, according to the law of Lagos State.

 

“You cannot build under high-tension power lines. It is dangerous and unacceptable in any civilized society. It shows disregard for the law, and the government will not tolerate that,” Omotoso said.

 

The government urged residents to comply with safety directives, stressing that protecting lives remains its top priority.

 

Mr Omotoso advised all residents of buildings around the scene to relocate immediately. He praised all the first responders for “a good job”.

 

LASEMA Permanent Secretary Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu also commended “all first responders and security personnel who worked tirelessly for the evacuation of survivors as the building was brought to ground zero”.

With Omotoso was Special Duties Commissioner Gbenga Oyerinde, who also praised the first responders “for their efforts”.

Meanwhile, latest updates from the scene of the three-storey mall that collapsed in Lagos has it that nine persons have been confirmed dead, while 26 have been rescued alive so far

The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, disclosed this while giving the update on the collapsed building.

 

Recall that the building collapsed on Thursday morning at Alakija in Ori-Ade Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

 

Giving the update, LASEMA said: “As of 4:20 p.m., a total of 26 persons have been rescued, while eight fatalities have been recorded, including a baby girl.

 

“Search-and-rescue operations remain ongoing. Further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.”

Earlier…

Eyewitnesses and survivors are recounting the horror at the site of the three-storey mall that collapsed at Oluti Bus Stop, along Old Ojo Road, opposite Eternal Oil Filling Station in Lagos. One said he can hear one victim making noises from inside the rubble.

 

Meanwhile, 15 persons have been rescued, and one confirmed dead, after the building collapsed on Thursday morning at Alakija in Ori-Ade Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.

 

According to a police officer at the scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity, about 15 people —including children and infants — have been rescued so far.

 

However, several others remain trapped beneath the rubble as emergency responders work tirelessly to reach them.

 

The Police, Fire and Rescue Service, military, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), LASEMA, LNSC, and other response teams are currently at the scene, with rescue operations ongoing.

 

I can hear someone making noises from inside – Eyewitness

 

Musa, an eyewitness who was passing by on his motorcycle, described the terrifying moment: “I was going to Mile 2 when I suddenly heard noise behind me.

 

“I drove to the front quickly and then turned back. Then saw that the mall had collapsed.”

 

Another eyewitness said: “I was just arriving the shop, just outside. Not up to five minutes after, I heard a loud noise with smoke everywhere.

 

“I was carrying my child, not knowing which direction to run to as I escaped.”

 

Another witness pointed to the rubble, saying: “Look, there is somebody’s hand showing from that side.

 

“There is another person making a noise from under the building. A lot of people are still alive inside there.”

 

A resident, who pleaded anonymity, revealed that warnings about the building’s condition had been issued years ago: “My boss owns a cyber café inside the mall. Two years ago, he packed saying the building was giving signs that it would collapse.”

 

‘Building old’

 

Multiple witnesses confirmed that the building was old and had developed cracks as recently as Tuesday.

 

Several residents also claimed that the Lagos State Government had previously marked the building with a red warning for evacuation.

 

One grieving eyewitness stated: “My friend is dead inside there. He was about running out when a block hit him. There are casualties.”

 

Amid the devastation, there was a moment of relief when a boy was rescued alive from the rubble, prompting jubilation from the crowd gathered at the scene.

 

Many relatives of those still trapped are at the site, praying and pleading for intervention as rescue efforts continue.

 

All rescued victims and casualties have been taken to Navy Town Hospital Alakija.