Lagos blames developer as building collapse kills one

On Friday, the Lagos State Government held a developer responsible for the collapse of a three-story building under construction in the Fadeyi area, which resulted in one death and three injuries. The building, located on Akinola Street, off Ikorodu Road, crumbled on Thursday afternoon, leading to a rescue operation involving emergency services.

Director of Operations for the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Olatunde Akinsanya, stated that the structure had been issued multiple warnings prior to the incident. A distress call was received at 12:45 PM on Thursday, triggering the emergency response involving the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, and the police. Four individuals were rescued from the debris, with three sustaining injuries and one being pronounced dead.

Akinsanya attributed the collapse to the developer's alleged corner-cutting and urged the construction industry to adhere to official notices to prevent further loss of life and property. He emphasized that compliance with notices could have averted this disaster. Samples from the rubble were collected by the Lagos State Materials Testing Laboratory for integrity tests, and nearby buildings with visible cracks will also undergo inspections.

Witnesses reported that a stop-work notice was visible on the broken fence, and several residents gathered to observe the ongoing operation. An eyewitness, Joseph, recounted narrowly escaping the incident and shared that he had been warned by the Lagos State Building Control Agency to remove his shoes from the pavement near the collapsed building. Another resident, Simisola, defended the developer's use of quality materials but acknowledged the tragic consequences.