The Lagos State Government has announced plans to demolish all distressed buildings identified in the Alakija area following the collapse of a three-storey building, while vowing to prosecute anyone found responsible for the tragedy.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, made the disclosure on Friday while addressing journalists at the scene on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Expressing condolences to the families of the victims, Omotoso described the incident as heartbreaking and assured residents that the government would take decisive action to prevent a recurrence.
“Our first duty is to commiserate with the families who lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident. On behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, we sympathise with them and pray that such a tragedy never occurs again,” he said.
According to the commissioner, emergency responders rescued 27 people alive from the rubble, while nine others lost their lives despite intensive overnight rescue operations.
“By the grace of God, we have been able to rescue 27 people. Unfortunately, we lost nine persons and this is very sad. We share the pain of the affected families,” he added.
Omotoso revealed that the collapsed building had previously been identified as structurally distressed and marked for evacuation, but some occupants allegedly returned after initially complying with the government’s directive.
“As you can see, these buildings had been marked as distressed and people were asked to leave. Unfortunately, some residents returned after pretending to have moved out, leading to this tragic outcome,” he said.
He stressed that all defective structures identified in the area would be demolished to safeguard lives.
“All the buildings that have been identified as defective will go down. We cannot wait until another tragedy occurs before taking action. The protection of lives remains our priority,” Omotoso stated.
The commissioner also condemned the construction and occupation of buildings beneath high-tension electricity lines, describing the practice as a blatant violation of safety regulations.
“It is not done in any civilised society. Such developments show disregard for safety regulations and contempt for the law. Government will continue to clamp down on such violations,” he said.
Omotoso disclosed that a full investigation into the building collapse was underway and warned that anyone found culpable, including the owners of the property, would be prosecuted.
“The owners of the building are under investigation. Anybody found complicit in this tragedy will face the law. They will be prosecuted because no one is above the law,” he said.
He added that most of the rescued victims sustained only minor injuries, while those requiring additional medical care had been taken to hospital for treatment.
The commissioner commended the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Nigeria Police Force, the military, neighbourhood safety personnel and other emergency responders for their prompt and coordinated rescue efforts.
“I must commend all our emergency responders who worked tirelessly throughout the night to save lives and bring the situation under control,” he said.
Urging residents to always prioritise safety, Omotoso warned against ignoring evacuation notices issued by relevant authorities.
“The most important lesson from this incident is that nobody should prioritise livelihood over life. Once life is lost, everything is lost. No business is worth risking human lives for,” he added.
