*Owner to face trial
The Lagos State Government will demolish all buildings marked as distressed around the collapsed 3-storey building at Alakija, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said yesterday.
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 prioritising 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.
“27 people were rescued alive, while 9 casualties were recorded during the search and rescue. Governor Sanwo-Olu commiserates with the families who lost their loved ones,” Omotoso said.
The 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”.
LASEMA Permanent Secretary 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”.
