Some of those who escaped death in the building that collapsed in the Alakija area of Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos, on Friday, have given accounts of how they survived death as the building caved in.

A survivor, Felix Monday who hails from Akwa Ibom and owned a phone repair shop within the collapsed building, told Saturday Sun that he had arrived his shop some minutes past 10 am and had opened for the day but had to step out to find something for breakfast. Minutes later, he heard the sound of the building collapsing.

“I got to my shop some minutes past 10 am and opened for the day’s business. I felt hungry and stepped out to eat not far away from the shop and not quite 10 minutes that I started eating, I heard a loud sound. And when I turned to see what it was all about, I saw that it was the building in which my shop was located that had gone down.

“On getting to the scene, I saw four of my friends being pulled out of the rubble, all dead. Following this disaster, I lost N2 million but I thank God for my escape and survival.”

Another shop owner who runs a betting outfit, Giwa Lateef, said he just installed solar panels worth over N3 million and other equipment totalling N7 million. He narrated that he got saved by a call from a friend who requested that he should bring something for him.

LASEMA officials and their equipment at the scene

“Usually, I go to the shop early but since it was a Thursday, being an environmental sanitation day, I left a bit late. Then a friend called me while I was on my way to bring something for him. I had to stop over before proceeding to the office. I only arrived the office 20 minutes after the building had collapsed and I had three boys working for me inside. But thankfully, three of them survived. They were taken to the hospital and were later discharged. A customer who was also in the shop survived but had to be taken to the orthopaedic hospital, Igbobi.”

Giwa, also told our reporter that it was not long that the property owner increased the rent from N500,000 to N1m and wondered why this was so even when no maintenance was done on the property.

Another survivor, a woman who refused to give her details, questioned if an interview would bring back the goods she had lost.

An official of the Oriade Local Development Council who does not want his name in print, when asked why there was no enforcement on buildings already marked for demolition, said the government was also part of the problem.

“My brother, the truth is that some greedy government officials collect money from property owners and paint over the mark. The enforcement needs to be total else, we will keep having more building collapse and lives being lost if we go like this.”

Meanwhile the Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has directed the immediate arrest and prosecution of the property owner of the Alakija building collapse to serve as a deterrent to other property owners whose buildings have been marked for demolition.

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.

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

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”.

One of the buildings housing a hotel by the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, it was gathered had been given a seven-day ultimatum to move out. This also goes for properties that are directly under the power lines, he emphasised.

Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), 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”. (The Sun)