The Lagos State Government has attributed recurring building collapses in the state to the failure of some residents and property owners to comply with safety regulations and official directives on distressed structures.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, stated this on Friday during an appearance on Arise Television’s News Night, while reacting to the collapse of a multi-storey building in the Alakija area of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area on Thursday morning.
He said the collapsed building had previously been declared unsafe and sealed by the government, but occupants allegedly re-entered the premises before it eventually gave way.
“The house had been marked ‘distressed,’ and everybody there had to leave. In fact, at a time, it was shut down. But before the government could come in to remove the structure, people went back in there,” he said.
Omotoso said repeated cases of building collapse in Lagos were largely driven by disregard for the law and the tendency of some individuals to prioritise economic activity over safety.
“As to why it keeps occurring, it’s very simple: people don’t want to obey the law. We keep marking these buildings and moving in to bring them down, but before we get to some of them, incidents like this happen,” he said. “People prioritise commercial activities and livelihood over life, which is very wrong. Once a building is declared unsafe, there is no reason anyone should go back in.”
He said the state government has existing laws and enforcement mechanisms to address the problem, noting that relevant agencies regularly identify, seal and demolish distressed buildings.
“The enforcement agencies are there to do their job, and we keep bringing down these buildings,” he added.
Omotoso disclosed that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu had ordered the immediate demolition of other distressed structures around the Alakija collapse site to prevent further incidents.
“The governor has directed that all buildings around the scene that are weak, distressed, or unfit for human habitation must be brought down,” he said.
He also warned that owners of unsafe buildings would be prosecuted, adding that any official of the Lagos State Building Control Agency found culpable would face sanctions.
“Any official of the Lagos State Building Control Agency who may have complicity in the incident will not go unpunished,” he said.
Omotoso extended the condolences of Governor Sanwo-Olu and the state government to families of victims of the incident.
If you want, I can also turn this into a tighter breaking-news wire (5–6 short paragraphs).
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