The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), on Thursday, said that the owner of the building that collapsed on workers in Maryland Estate, claiming five lives, is still at large.
The agency’s Director, Operations, Engr Olatunde Akinsanya, said this while speaking with journalists at the incident venue.
He, however, appealed to the owner of the collapsed building to make an appearance.
“No one has come forward to say he or she owns the property. We are appealing to the owner to come forward because he or she can’t at this point be at large,” Akinsanya said.
He said part of the unit of the building would be taken for material testing to determine the cause of the incident.
“A neighbour who lives beside the building, Mrs Yusuf Jumoke, a businesswoman, said she heard the building collapsed early hours of the morning.
“I heard the noise and I came out and saw that the building has collapsed.
“I can’t talk about the history of the building because I am not involved about the operation.
“All I know is they work there every day and night and that is all I know,” she said.
Another resident, Mayen Adetiba, an engineer, attributed rampant collapsed building to lack of usage of competent building engineers.
“These are things we need to stop in this country. There are so many quacks running all over the place.
“People believe the fees of professionals are too expensive. Government needs to wake up. They have bodies that should look at these things,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that LASEMA received a distress call regarding a collapsed building at No 13, Wilson Mba Str., Arowojobe Estate, Maryland, Lagos, at about 3.49 a.m.
Five other persons who were found in the collapsed building were also rescued and given medical attention.
NAN also reports that the National Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Nigeria Police and the Lagos State Building Control Agency, were all on the ground. (NAN)
