A total of fifteen persons have been confirmed dead and moved to the morgue while few released to their relatives following the collapse of a 5-storey building which occurred on Tuesday morning at the Ikate-Elegusi area of Lekki in Lagos.
According to eye witnesses account, fifteen more bodies were yesterday
retrieved from the collapsed building bringing the toll to thirty five while thirteen persons were rescued.
In a report by the spokesperson of National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, (Southwest) Ibrahim Farinloye, signaling the conclusion of the rescue operations confirmed that a total of 34 persons were dead as at yesterday evening after which one other victim gave up the ghost in the hospital bringing the figure to thirty five.
Consequently, the Lagos State Police Command has arrested the contractor handling the project identified as Mr. Odofin Taiwo yesterday.
In a similar development, the Lagos State government has summoned the directors of Lekki Gardens Limited, owners of the project to appear within 24 hours or risk arrest while the Lagos State Safety Commission and the State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) have sealed over 20 buildings in the environment.
Meanwhile, the Standard Organisation of Nigeria
(SON), led by its Director of Inspectorate and Complaint, Bede Obayi,
conducted inspection on the collapsed building as well as others under construction in the
area belonging to the same developers.
According to the preliminary inspections, the blocks used on the project failed the SON's test while some of the buildings have major cracks pointing to structural defects.
“The first thing in a house is the block. From the ones we have examined here, it has failed the test. The construction of this building is not up to 50 meters from the sea, showing that this land was reclaimed from the sea”, Obayi said.
Obayi had directed that all materials used on
the collapsed building, including iron rods, blocks, sand, granites and
sea water, should be collected for laboratory tests.
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