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*The owner will face trial
The Lagos State Government will demolish all buildings marked as distressed around the collapsed 3-storey building in Alakija, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said yesterday.
Speaking during an inspection of the site on Friday, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, who represented Governor Sanwo-Olu, sympathized with the families of the victims and commended the rescuers for their quick intervention.
According to the commissioner, 27 people were saved alive from the rubble. Nine died.
The search and rescue operation lasted all night. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), police, command and control centre, neighborhood watch and other agencies are still on site.
“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 the occupants were ordered 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 prevent the lives of others around being affected.
“27 people were rescued alive, while 9 casualties were recorded during the search and rescue operations. Governor Sanwo-Olu regrets the families who lost their loved ones,” Omotoso said.
The commissioner also promised that the owners of the collapsed building will be prosecuted by the state. Anyone found to have breached building regulations or frustrated enforcement efforts will certainly face legal action,” he said.
Omotoso condemned the construction of buildings under high-voltage power lines, calling the practice “dangerous” and “suicidal.”
According to the police commissioner, the causes of the collapse are being investigated. The survivors are receiving treatment at various hospitals.
“The owners of the collapsed buildings and other distressed buildings will be prosecuted for culpability in the incident, according to Lagos State law.
“You cannot build under high voltage power lines. It is dangerous and unacceptable in any civilized society. It shows contempt for the law and the government will not tolerate it,” Omotoso said.
The government urged residents to respect 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 praised “all first responders and security personnel who worked tirelessly to evacuate 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”.
