IKORODU, Nigeria — Tragedy struck in Ikorodu, Lagos, on Saturday, July 22, 2023, as two young siblings were killed in a partial building collapse brought on by a heavy downpour.
The victims, Rakib Atolagbe, 7, and Mujib Atolagbe, 9, were trapped when a fence from the neighboring house toppled onto their building at No 25, Ajao Street CWC, by Olainukan Bus Stop, Ishawo.
Ibrahim Farinloye, Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Territorial Office, confirmed the incident to journalists.
“The incident occurred at about 11:30 a.m. during Saturday’s heavy rain,” Farinloye explained.
He lamented the delay in relaying the distress call to emergency management personnel. “It was regrettable that no distress call was properly channeled to those whose responsibility it is to save lives at the right time.”
Officials from the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, are now at the scene to assess the situation.
The assessment is a crucial part of understanding the causes of the collapse and helps determine how similar tragedies can be prevented in the future.
As rescue efforts transition to recovery, Farinloye expressed his condolences to the Atolagbe family, saying, “May the Almighty forgive the deceased and console their parents.”
The incident underscores the recurrent issue of building collapses in Lagos, attributed to substandard materials, a lack of regulatory enforcement, and the pressure of the city’s rapidly expanding population.
The state has been grappling with the problem for years, with several deadly collapses occurring during periods of heavy rain.
A Narrow Escape: Ekiti Chief Judge Escapes Death in Court Complex Collapse
Ekiti State Chief Judge, Justice Oyewole Adeyeye, narrowly escaped death on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, when a section of the state high court complex collapsed, trapping him in his office.
The harrowing incident occurred close to the end of the workday, with Justice Adeyeye still in his chambers.
The exact cause of the collapse remains unclear, but initial reports suggest that structural deficits exacerbated by recent heavy rainfall could be to blame.
Although there were no reported fatalities, Justice Adeyeye was seriously injured by the collapsing structure.
“Justice Adeyeye sustained serious injury as a section of the office collapsed on him,” said an eyewitness who preferred to remain anonymous.
Rescuing the Chief Judge from the rubble was fraught and painstaking. Workers at the court complex made considerable efforts to extract him from the debris.
Following his rescue, Justice Adeyeye was rushed to an undisclosed hospital in the state where he currently receives medical treatment.
A visit to the court registrar’s office to seek further details on the incident was fruitless.
The registrar, through a staff member, asked the reporters to return later.
The collapse of the high court complex has sparked concerns about the state’s safety and maintenance of public infrastructure.
It remains to be seen what measures the Ekiti State Government will take in response to this incident to safeguard the lives of public officials and citizens alike.
