UPDATE:
Fresh Body Recovered, Death Toll Hits Four From Lagos Building Collapse
By Fredrick Wright
Death toll from the seven storey building that collapsed on Oba Abiodun Oniru Road in Iru/Victoria Island, Lagos State, hits four this morning (Monday) with the recovery of another body from the rubbles.
This is coming as the Lagos State Government ordered arrest of the developer and building professionals working on the seven-floor structure that collapsed under construction in the early hours of Sunday.
Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos Territorial Office, Ibrahim Farinloye, said “Another male adult body recovered now. This makes 4th body recovered so far”
Meanwhile, the collapsed building is said to have been sealed by Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) on 18th of February 2021, but the developers ignored the order.
A neighbor, living next to the building informed that the Pent House of the building was the first to collapsed which woke the entire community members and some of the occupants of the collapsed building up, it was then they alerted remaining occupants to vacate while the main building collapsed about 20 minutes later.
A Vulcaniser simply Known As Tobi operating at the gate of the collapse building disclosed that although the site engineer forbids people sleeping on site, but late night many people converge there. He said that about 30 people jumped to safety after an alert, which woke them up.
The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, during his visit to the site, said that the developer and professionals violated the planning laws of the state by embarking on the construction without a valid planning permit and ignoring official warnings to halt the building project.
He emphasised that under no circumstance should anyone construe the filling of application for permit through the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) as a ticket to commence construction.
“There must be a valid Planning Permit from the aforementioned agency, in addition to letter of Authorisation, Stage inspection at every milestone and certification by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), to ensure that construction works were carried out in conformity with the approval granted”, the Commissioner said.
Disclosing that investigation has been initiated to determine the cause of the building collapse, Salako said the Police is on the trail of the developer and all professionals involved in the project such as architects, builders and engineers.
The Commissioner expressed concern at the level of disregard for the law in the built sector, affirming that the State Government will restore sanity and orderliness to the sector because it has zero tolerance for building collapse.
