Sorrow, Survival, and Strength as Mosjidil Mosque Lies in Ruins

In the wake of the recent devastating collapse of Mosjidil Mutmahinah Central Mosque in the Mushin Area of Lagos State, Esther Oluku shares a heart-wrenching account of strength, survival and resilience in the aftermath of the event

Buried beneath the rubble, immobility and despair reign. The mind races with frantic thoughts of survival, but the body lies numb and petrified with fear.

As the din of first responders outside grows fainter, the longing for water and a miraculous rescue intensifies. Memories of loved ones flash through the mind, tears and bodily functions involuntarily releasing as the body’s defences falter.

Time slows to a crawl, each passing second an eternity, as life force ebbs away from the battered body.

Meanwhile, families frantically scour the rubble, their desperation for any sign of life – a breath, a sound – driving their search. This is the heart-wrenching reality of being entombed beneath the debris, a nightmare from which escape seems impossible.

The collapse

Tragedy struck on Sunday, May 26, 2024, when the Mosjidil Mutmahinah Central Mosque, situated at 64 Osotiloye Street, off Yusuf Street, Papa-Ajao, Lagos, collapsed between 1:15 pm and 1:30 pm.

The catastrophic event occurred after an excavator’s activities compromised the foundational pillars of the one-story building, leading to its devastating collapse.

The tragic collapse of the Mosjidil Mutmahinah Central Mosque claimed the lives of two worshipers – 12-year-old Anifat Yusuf and an adult male, Seidu Gogo. The disaster also left 13-year-old Nohimot Lasisi with a life-altering injury, resulting in the amputation of her leg.

Anifat Yusuf

On that fateful morning, 12-year-old Anifat Yusuf obediently followed her mother’s instructions to attend the Asalatu program at Mosjidil Mutmahinah Central Mosque with the Papa Ajao Muslim Family.

She was expected to remain at the mosque for the afternoon Sulat prayers and then head to her Madrasah classes.

As the eldest of four siblings, Anifat had taken on the responsibility of caring for her younger brothers and sisters while their mother, Mrs. Rahamat Babalola, was hospitalised, after being down with malaria.

Mrs Babalola, who had been admitted the previous Friday, had been keeping in touch with her children and ensuring their well-being from afar. She had planned to reunite with them upon her discharge on Sunday evening, unaware of the tragedy that would soon unfold.

According to her, “I wasn’t present on Sunday as I was confined to the hospital, admitted on Friday at around 4 pm. Our last encounter was on Friday when we spent time together.

“The following day, Saturday, Anifat and her siblings came to visit me at the hospital, and we all had a chance to catch up. We talked about her Madrasah activities and her Sunday classes.

“She even left my youngest daughter with me on Saturday before they all headed home, which turned out to be the last time I saw her.”

She explained that that Sunday morning, Anifat and her siblings were preparing to attend their Asalatu when she called.

“On the morning of the incident, I had phoned Anifat to remind her to get ready for the Asalatu program, and she assured me they were almost set. I glanced at the time and warned her they might be running late.

“So, I advised her to quickly get everything in order and head to the mosque with her younger siblings.

“She mentioned her plans to attend the Madrasah class that afternoon, and I acknowledged her plans. I instructed her to first attend the Asalatu, then collect some money from my sister, have a snack, and finally head to her Madrasah class.

“I promised to call her after her class, never realizing that would be the last time I would hear her sweet voice.”

That afternoon, the Prayer Leader of the Mosque, Mr. Tunde Kazeem, recalled seeing Anifat before the tragic incident.

He noted that she had diligently swept the first floor of the mosque and was accompanied by her friend, Nohimot, who assisted her in packing away the dirt.

Nohimot, a 13-year-old, had also come to the mosque that Sunday to observe her Sulat prayers. Both girls were eagerly preparing for their upcoming Walimot Quran ceremony in August.

According to Nohimot’s mother, Mrs. Rashidat Adesegi, Nohimot was also set to take her Junior Secondary School Certificate Examinations starting July 1.

Tragically, as the building collapsed, Anifat lost her life on the spot, while Nohimot suffered devastating injuries to both her legs, leaving her with a long and difficult road to recovery.

Seidu Gogo

The third major victim of the tragic accident was Mr Seidu Gogo, an adult male who had been missing since the day of the incident.

Residents of Yusuf and Osotiloye streets, who spoke to THISDAY at the scene, revealed that Gogo had packed his water supply truck, which he used to serve the community, before vanishing.

As the putrid smell of death lingered at the site on Thursday, May 30, the residents urged the excavator operator to dig up the area, hoping to find Gogo’s remains.

After a gruelling two-hour search, a portion of his body was finally discovered trapped in the rubble. His body was fully recovered around 9 pm that evening, bringing closure to the community’s desperate search.

Survivors account

According to the Chairman of Mosjidil Mutmahinah Central Mosque, Mr Kesinro Kazeem, the drainage channel was being excavated to expand it and facilitate the free flow of water, a precursor to the road tarring project.

Kazeem told THISDAY that, when the excavation work commenced on Yusuf Street, adjacent to Osotiloye Street where the mosque is situated, the mosque authorities proactively engaged the engineers overseeing the drainage construction to inquire about the proximity of the drainage to the mosque, even before the work reached their street.

“We had previously consulted with the engineer and excavator operator, inquiring if their work would compromise our building’s structural integrity. They assured us it wouldn’t.

“However, on Sunday, when they reached our section, I arrived at the mosque around 1:10 pm to find they had dug a deep trench. Although I was concerned, the mosque still seemed stable.

“I decided to proceed with my prayers, intending to advise the workers to halt their work temporarily. Just as I finished my prayers at 1:20 pm, someone alerted us to the collapsing tiles on our side.

“I instructed everyone to exit through the opposite side, as it seemed the structure was about to give way. We managed to escape just as the building collapsed behind us.

“I’m grateful we made it out alive, considering the mosque’s capacity of 200-240 worshippers. We’re fortunate the incident didn’t occur on a busy day like Monday or Friday, which would have resulted in a far greater tragedy. Currently, 15 people are receiving treatment in the hospital for their injuries.”

Another fortunate survivor of the tragic incident, Mr Lateef Bassit, recounted the event as ‘unexpected’. He expressed gratitude that he had completed his Sulat prayers just moments before the disaster struck, narrowly escaping harm.

According to him, “After completing my Sulat, I wanted to rest and play a game on my phone before heading out, but the noise from the children playing nearby was disturbing.

“So, I chased them out. As soon as I did, I noticed a crack in the mosque’s wall, from top to bottom. I was shocked and warned a guy who was leaning against it, telling him it didn’t look stable.

“No sooner had I spoken than the building collapsed at the entrance. I managed to escape and went back to rescue some girls I had brought to the mosque, but what I saw was horrific.

“I saw a girl’s leg, and when I pulled it out, I saw her face and brain exposed. I had to drop it and flee. I also saw another young girl with a badly injured leg, seemingly broken and twisted. I thanked God it wasn’t a busy day like Friday or Monday, or the tragedy would have been even worse. Alhamdulilah, I’m grateful for survival.”

Possible causes

One of the victims of the accident, Mr Waheed Shittu, revealed that a strange noise was heard by the Imam before the incident occurred.

As the Welfare Chairman of the mosque, Mr. Shittu investigated the source of the noise, attempting to determine the cause of the problem.

“Suddenly, we noticed that the tiles in the mosque had begun to split apart. At first, I thought it was a minor issue, something we could easily repair.

“But within a matter of minutes, the cracks in the building grew more pronounced, and we realized the situation was far more serious than we had initially thought.”

The Chairman, Mr. Kesinro while also speaking on possible cause, said he observed that, given the initial collapse was limited to one side of the building, a structural infraction or compromise of the pillar on that side may have triggered the accident, leading to the subsequent collapse of the building.

“They assured us that the excavation work wouldn’t affect us, but it appears that while we were inside, they made a critical error.

“They struck one of the building’s pillars at the far end, just as they were finishing up.

“Fortunately, this mistake didn’t result in a complete collapse of the building, but rather a partial collapse of one side. We were lucky that the other pillar held strong, leaving a small opening for us to escape. If the building had a pre-existing foundation issue, I fear we would have all perished.”

Construction Company’s Reaction

THISDAY findings revealed that Brick Vine Resources Limited was the company responsible for the ongoing drainage construction that may have caused the fatal incident.

Speaking with THISDAY, Engineer Gbadamosi Tope-Idowu of Brick Vine Resources Limited who took over the project after the collapse said the collapse may have been caused by many factors including age.

He argued that the building had existed ‘many years’ and the vibration of the excavator may have impacted the foundation of the mosque.

When THISDAY asked to speak with the excavator driver on site on the day of the accident, he said: “I wasn’t present at the time of the accident. I don’t have the driver’s contact information, and he isn’t a direct employee of mine.

“We contracted an excavator company, and they typically send a driver of their choice to operate the equipment at the time of the job.”

He chose to provide the phone number of the supervising engineer who was overseeing the project at the time of the accident, rather than sharing the driver’s contact information.

When contacted, the Supervising Engineer, simply identified as Monsuru, also declined to share the excavator’s driver’s phone number.

He explained that the excavator had completed its work behind the building and was already in position before the incident. He clarified that “The excavator did not lose control. It was already stationed behind the mosque at the time of the accident.”

THISDAY findings

Video footage obtained by THISDAY, taken before the Sulat prayer, shows the excavator at the accident scene, positioned at the edge of the building when the collapse occurred.

However, Brick Vine Resources Limited has denied the press access to the excavator operator who was in charge of the machine at the time of the collapse.

The company has also replaced the engineers and excavator operator in charge of the project since the accident, citing the injury of their supervisor and aiming to sever all access to the excavator driver involved in the mosque collapse.

Expert opinion

After reviewing the video evidence, THISDAY sought the expert opinion of Architect Bode Jegede, a fellow of the International Facility Managers Association (IFMA) Nigeria.

He analyzed the footage and concluded that the excavator dug too close to the mosque during the drainage construction, potentially compromising the building’s structural integrity

After conducting a thorough observation, he said, “The excavation is too close to the building, which is a concern.

“Drainage systems should be kept at a safe distance from structures to prevent compromising their foundation footings. Water seepage from the drains can lead to erosion of the foundation soil.

“As a best practice, drainage systems should be installed at least three meters away from buildings, and a concrete apron should be used to direct water away from the building and into the main drains.”

Coping with the losses

In a heart-wrenching tribute to her late daughter, Mrs Babalola fondly recalled Anifat’s aspirations with THISDAY.

“Anifat was a brilliant, kind, and obedient girl,” she said with her voice filled with emotion.

“She had a passion for becoming a nurse, driven by her personal experience with a leg injury from a childhood fall. She wanted to be able to manage her condition effectively and help others in similar situations. Her dream was born out of her struggles, and it’s a testament to her resilience and compassion.”

Mrs. Babalola reflected on coping with the aftermath of the accident, saying, “As Muslims, we believe in accepting fate with equanimity. We trust that God gives and takes away. We’ve received visits from Imams across Lagos State and our Local Government Chairman, offering condolences and support.”

Meanwhile, Mr Ganiyu Lasisi, father of Nohimot Lasisi, the sole survivor, expressed shock and gratitude for the hospital staff’s support. He thanked Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for covering medical expenses.

Recalling the difficult decision to amputate his daughter’s leg, he said, “I was devastated when the doctors suggested amputation. My wife and I were heartbroken. But the professor counselled me to prioritize saving her life, and we consented to the procedure.”

Call for support

Nohimot’s mother, Mrs Ganiyu Lasisi, expressed her concerns about the financial burden of supporting her daughter’s needs after the amputation and called on well-meaning Nigerians and relevant organisations to come to their aid.

While acknowledging Governor Sanwo-Olu’s pledge to cover initial expenses, she fears abandonment thereafter.

“We worry that after the amputation, we don’t want to be left alone to bear the costs. Our daughter will need ongoing care and artificial leg replacements as she grows.

“It’s a significant financial burden. As a mother, it’s heartbreaking to consent to her leg’s amputation, but we want to save her life and help her fulfil her potential. We appeal to Nigerians and the government for further assistance.”

Meanwhile, the Northern community on Yusuf and Osotiloye streets has retrieved Gogo’s body and prepared it for burial, adhering to Islamic funeral rites and traditions.