‘It was a ticking time bomb,’ neighbours, survivors speak of collapsed Lagos building

As of Sunday morning, fve people have been confirmed dead and 13 others rescued following the collapse on Saturday of a three-storey building in the Ojodu Berger area of Lagos State.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) on Sunday confirmed that the survivors—mostly adult females—were rescued and are currently receiving pre-hospital care at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.

The building, which housed the popular Equal Right Restaurant, reportedly crashed down around 8 a.m. while undergoing additional construction to convert it into a four-storey structure.

Eyewitnesses said the site had shown visible signs of structural distress long before the collapse. But they kept developing it alleging that the building belongs to a local government chairman in Lagos State.

Witnesses recall warning signs

“This building has been showing signs for a while,” said Franklin Okede, an eyewitness. “One of the engineers even warned his colleagues not to enter because the structure looked unsafe yesterday morning. Moments later, the entire building came crashing down.”

Mr Okede added that the collapse could have been far more devastating if it had occurred later in the day during a scheduled Premier League match, when the restaurant would typically be filled with fans.

Another eyewitness, Nurudeen Hasan, who survived the collapse, described their rescue as a miracle.

“The building just gave way. We were lucky. About 22 of us were inside, and many were pulled out alive,” he said.

Mr Hasan while putting on his white shorts and singlet stated that he joined the rescue team since nothing happened to him.

He said those survivors were first taken to Royal Hospital in Ojudu to stabilise them before they were moved to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Femi Akinyemi, another witness, gave a slightly different account, saying six people died and 18 were rescued.

However, LASEMA has dismissed these varying figures.

Agency disputes conflicting figures

LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, told PREMIUM TIMES that only five fatalities had been confirmed and 13 people rescued.

“Let them show you the hospital where the six dead are kept,” he said. “We’ve accounted for five deaths and 13 rescued persons. Eleven adult females have been rescued so far and are receiving care.”

Mr Oke-Osanyintolu said first responders remained on site, working methodically with heavy and light-duty equipment.

“We are approaching ground zero,” he said. “There’s still a chance we may find more people under the rubble.”

Rescue efforts praised, but concerns remain

Rescue efforts involved teams from LASEMA, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Red Cross, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service.

Ige Oladimeji, Lagos State Disaster Management Officer for the Red Cross, said the organisation had helped evacuate 11 victims.

“Our role is to provide first aid and get people to the hospital quickly. We’ve been here since yesterday (Saturday)working with other agencies,” he said.

FRSC Sector Commander Kehinde Hamzat commended the multi-agency response, noting that “lives were saved due to swift coordination and deployment of machines and personnel.”

He also called for a renewed focus on proactive building inspections to prevent future tragedies.

“We used to see more building collapses in Lagos, but things improved when the governor took action. This incident is a reminder that we must remain vigilant,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Ojodu Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lagos, Olusegun Odunmbaku, has continued to assist LASEMA with fuel.

According to his Chief Press Secretary, Bello Yakub, apart from the fuel supply, Mr Odunmbaku has supported financially the hospital bills of the survivors.

He added that Mr Odunmbaku was present at the scene on Saturday and had already visited them both at the Royal Hospital and LUTH.

A history of warning signs

The eyewitnesses have maintained that the building had long shown signs of wear and was over 40 years old.

“It was a ticking time bomb,” said one local resident who declined to be named. “I stopped going there because I was afraid it would come down someday.”

He attributed the collapse to unapproved structural modifications because the building had been abandoned for years.

“It was an old building converted into an eatery, and more construction had been added.

The agency confirmed that all areas around the site have been secured, and investigations are ongoing.

What will happen to collapsed property?

Under the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of 2010 (as amended), the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) is empowered to confiscate properties that collapse due to regulatory violations. Such actions are taken for public safety and to prevent unauthorised redevelopment.

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But questions remain over whether the law will be enforced in this case, especially with allegations that the property is owned by a serving local government chairman.

The Lagos State Government has yet to issue a statement since the collapse on whether it will seize the building.

Saturday’s collapse is the second in Lagos within a few weeks. A building under construction at Northern Vulture Estate, Lekki, had also collapsed recently, killing a teenage boy and two men, and injuring six others.

LASEMA has vowed to investigate both incidents thoroughly and hold those responsible accountable.