Politics
1 dead, 2 rescued in Lagos three-storey shopping complex collapse
ONE person has been confirmed dead while two others were rescued after a three-storey shopping complex collapsed Thursday morning in the Alakija area of Ori-Ade Local Council Development Area of Lagos State.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu confirmed the incident in a statement, noting that emergency responders were making efforts to locate victims feared trapped beneath the rubble.
“To facilitate the rescue efforts, heavy-duty equipment, including an excavator, has been deployed to the site to assist in clearing debris and gaining access to trapped persons,” he said.
Osanyintolu explained that emergency responders were mobilised immediately after distress calls were received, triggering a coordinated rescue operation involving LASEMA, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), and the China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC).
The LASEMA scribe said that rescue teams successfully pulled two people alive from the debris, while the body of an adult male was later recovered from the collapsed structure.
He added that preliminary assessments indicated that more people could still be trapped beneath the rubble, including shop owners and other occupants who had resumed business activities in the building before it gave way.
He appealed to residents and onlookers to stay away from the scene to allow emergency personnel unrestricted access to conduct life-saving operations.
LASEMA assured the public that verified updates would be provided as rescue efforts continue, noting that investigations would commence after the conclusion of the ongoing rescue operation.
The ICIR reports that the cause of the collapse has not yet been determined, as the incident adds to growing concerns over building safety and enforcement of construction standards in Lagos, where authorities have repeatedly pledged stricter oversight to prevent similar tragedies.
Building collapses remain a recurring challenge in Nigeria’s commercial capital, often linked to structural defects, substandard construction materials, poor regulatory compliance, or inadequate maintenance.
The ICIR reported how regulatory failures fuels building collapses in the state and other parts of Nigeria.
History of building collapses in Lagos
Lagos State has a long history of building collapses and accompanying human casualties and loss of valuables. The ICIR investigation revealed that regulatory failure is largely responsible for these preventable tragedies. The disasters happen almost yearly with alarming tolls.
The ICIR reported how eight building collapsed under the watch of the state former Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Idris Salako, a doctor, under whose watch many buildings gave way. He resigned over continuous crumbling of buildings in the state.
The state government often reacts after a building has caved in, with threats to pull down substandard structures.
In 2019, the state government vowed to pull down old buildings at the Ita Faji area of Lagos Island after a three-storey building collapsed.
A two-storey building, located at No. 54 Cole Street, near Cemetery Bus Stop, collapsed in the early hours of Monday, October 27, trapping several occupants under the rubble when many of its occupants were asleep.
A five-storey building fell in the state in April 2023 at Ladipo Oluwole Street in the GRA area of Apapa.
At least five people died after another building gave way on Wilson Mba Street, Arowojobe Estate Maryland in July 2024.
In September 2022, a three-storey building collapsed on Sonuga Street, Palm Avenue, Mushin, Lagos. Two people were rescued from its rubbles.
No fewer than two people died following the collapse of a seven-storey building in the Lekki area of Lagos in September 2022.
What appears the most tragic of building collapse in the state in recent years was the 21-storey building under construction which crumbled and killed its owner and others at the Ikoyi area of the state in November 2021.
All these happened under the watch of successive governments and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) “set up to ensure that basic minimum standards are maintained in building construction and renovation of existing and new buildings to be safe, healthy, accessible and habitable for present and future generations.
“The agency works together with developers/owners to provide a highly quality service and make sure that all buildings are satisfactorily carried out,” according to information on its website.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.