Inside the Rubble of Ikoyi Building Collapse

Sunday Ehigiator reports that the collapsed 21-storey building located in Gerald Road, an affluent area in Ikoyi, Lagos, has so far claimed 44 lives with 15 survivours, some of who are still battling for their lives in the hospital

At about 2pm on Monday, November 1, 2021; barely 61 days to the end of 2021, tragedy struck. A 21-storey building at Gerald Street in highbrow Ikoyi area of Lagos collapsed and buried no less than 50 persons, including the developer and the Managing Director, Fourscore Heights Limited, Mr. Femi Osibona, underneath the rubble of the collapsed luxury apartment, which still undergoing construction.

As at press time, the death toll had inched to 44 with 15 survivours, some who are still battling for their lives at the hospital.

The Collapse

Findings from one of the surviving workers of the collapsed skyscraper, Gabriel Bassey, revealed that the building crumbled around 2pm when workers were still on the site.

He said the owner was also on site with about 15 persons believed to be his friends and partners when the building came down, and about 50 persons, majorly site workers, were trapped in the rubble.

“I was trying to plug my phone and not up to five seconds after I left the spot, I started feeling vibrations, and I saw the building coming down. That was when I ran to safety.”

Identified Casualties

Arguably, one of the saddest stories from the aftermath of the building collapse incident, was the confirmed death of the Personal Assistant (PA) to the MD, Onyinye Enekwe, barely three days after she started working for the company.

The 26-year-old was said to be engaged and was planning her wedding for December, 2021

Another sad story was the unfortunate death of a serving corps member, Zainab Oridamola, whose body has also been confirmed to be among the bodies brought out of the collapsed building, dashing all her family’s expectation of survival.

According to findings, the 26-year-old, who was originally deployed to Maiduguri got redeployed to Lagos after the three-week orientation. She was among the six corps members deployed to the company, Fourscore Heights Limited, for their mandatory service to the nation

Another identified casualty was that of a US-based Nigerian businessman, Wale Bob-Oseni, who was also reported to have been among the victims of the building collapse which.

The real estate dealer was on his way back to his base that Monday when he detoured to check out the ongoing development at the luxury apartment. Unfortunately, both friends were subsequently trapped when the building collapsed, and their bodies have now been recovered among the rubble.

Death Toll

As of the time this report was filled, an official report from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), put the total death bodies recovered so far from the rubble of the collapsed building at 44.

Some of the rescued persons are currently receiving treatment at Island General Hospital, while the dead have been deposited at the mortuary.

Survivors

As at Sunday evening, 15 persons had been rescued from the rubble and are receiving treatment in the hospital. Meanwhile, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, during the week, released names and other identities of six of the nine survivors rescued from the building.

He gave the names as, “Oduntan Timilehin (26); Ahmed Keleku (19, from Cotonou); Sunday Monday (21, suffered left leg fracture); Adeniran Mayowa (37, hip injury); Solagbade Nurudeen (33, pelvic injury); and Waliu Lateef (32).”

Families Lament Delay in identifying Corpses, Relations

Some bereaved relatives have lamented the postponement of the identification of corpses recovered by emergency workers, especially after the governor had said families would be able to identify their loved ones from Thursday after the autopsy had been conducted.

The bereaved families said when they visited the Mainland Hospital mortuary, Yaba, on Thursday, November 4, they were denied access to the bodies.

The father of an 18-year-old boy, Edward Godwin, while in tears, said he was not allowed to identify his son’s body despite the governor’s assurance.

A woman, who did not identify herself, said she had been to the state morgue as well but was not allowed to identify her sister’s son.

Another woman, who identified herself as Florence, said she spoke with her brother on Sunday before she got a call that he was among those trapped.

She said upon arrival at the site, she got informed that her brother was among those rushed to the hospital. She said she went to the general hospital with her brother’s picture, and he confirmed that he was brought in unconscious, “but since yesterday, I’ve not seen him or sure of the hospital he was taken to,” she said.

Contradicting Reports on Building Structure

Earlier, just few hours after the incident, the now suspended General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Mr Gbolahan Oki, in a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), had noted that the developer of the collapsed building, Osibona, was only given approval to construct only 15 floors, but contravened this approval by building it up to 21 floors.

However, while addressing journalists on the second day of the incident, The Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, countered Mr. Oki.

According to Hamzat, “There are three buildings within these premises. The two other skyscrapers still standing were the one that got approval for a 15-storey building.T his particular building that collapsed got approval for 21-storey and that was what was built on it. So the report that they built beyond approved capacity, being responsible for this incident does not hold water.”

In a twist, contrary to claims by Oki and Hamzat, an assessment document obtained by THISDAY, dated August 19, 2020, titled ‘Calculation of Assessment’, signed and stamped by Lagos State Government Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), revealed that approval given for the building was 20 floors, and not 21 nor 15.

The document further revealed that the ministry approved two 15-storey buildings, which are the two buildings still visibly standing at the incident site, and also approved one 20-storey building (which has now collapsed) and one other one-storey building for the gym and suspended swimming.

Meanwhile, the governor, who announced Oki’s suspension through the state Commissioner of Information, and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, said the suspension was indefinite.

Inauguration of Investigation Tribunal

On Thursday, November 4, Governor Sanwo-Olu inaugurated members of the investigation tribunal that will conduct an inquiry into the misconduct responsible for the collapse of the building.

The governor also signed the instrument legitimising the composition of the panel and empowering the tribunal to invite or summon anyone and organisation useful to the investigation.

Members of the tribunal, who were drawn from the private sector, took the oath at the event held in the LASWA Building at Falomo, Ikoyi. Their duty began immediately and they are expected to report back within four weeks (a month).

President of Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Mr. Toyin Ayinde, was named as the chairman of the panel, while Ekundayo Onajobi, a lawyer in a private law firm, was named as the Secretary.

Other panel members are a structural engineer, Dr. Akintilo Idris Adeleke, an architect, Yinka Ogundairo; representative of Institute of Builders, Mr. Godfrey O. Godfrey, and Mrs. Bunmi Ibrahim, a real estate lawyer.

Three Days of Mourning

Meanwhile, Governor Sanwo-Olu declared three days of mourning starting from, Friday, November 5 to 7, in honour of the lives lost at the collapse incident.

In the statement released by Commissioner Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, the governor directed that “all flags are to be flown at half-mast in public and private buildings and official engagements cancelled during the mourning period”.

Laudable Efforts of Emergency Workers

Given the work put in by emergency workers, especially those who have been working tirelessly to rescue those still trapped and equally recover bodies, the rescue operation is yet to be halted.

Most commendable is the work put in by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), ably led by the Southwest Zonal Coordinator, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye.

With barely little time for rest, Farinloye and his men have been the most reckoned team in the rescue mission. They have equally not failed at timely updating the public on progress made thus far in the rescue efforts.