Lagos govt blames building collapses on disregard for safety regulations
Lagos State Government Links Building Collapses to Non-Compliance with Safety Regulations
LAGOS — The Lagos State Government has attributed the recent spate of building collapses in the region to non-compliance with safety regulations by both landlords and occupants. Officials insist that many of the affected structures had previously been identified as unsafe and marked for demolition.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, made the comments on Friday during an interview on Arise Television’s News Night programme, following the collapse of a multi-storey building in the Alakija area of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area on Thursday.
Omotoso stated that the building had been deemed unsafe and sealed off by government authorities. However, some occupants reportedly re-entered the structure before it collapsed.
“The house had been marked ‘distressed,’ and everybody there had to leave. At one point, it was shut down. But before the government could remove the structure, people returned,” he said.
The commissioner emphasized that the ongoing building collapses are largely due to a disregard for governmental directives and a preference among some property owners to prioritize economic interests over human safety.
“The reason this keeps happening is simple: people refuse to obey the law. If you obey the law, everything will be fine. We continuously identify and dismantle dangerous buildings, but incidents occur before we can act,” Omotoso explained.
He asserted that the state government possesses adequate legal and enforcement measures to address unsafe structures. Omotoso noted that relevant agencies regularly identify, seal, and demolish distressed buildings throughout Lagos.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the immediate demolition of surrounding structures deemed unsafe to prevent further casualties from the recent incident.
“Governor Sanwo-Olu has directed the removal of all buildings around the scene that are weak, distressed, and unfit for human habitation,” Omotoso said.
The commissioner also warned that property owners of unsafe buildings would face prosecution and that any officials from the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) found negligent in this matter would face consequences.
“Any LASBCA official linked to this incident will not go unpunished,” he stated.
Omotoso extended condolences from Governor Sanwo-Olu to the families of the victims and those injured in the collapse. The incident reportedly resulted in nine fatalities, while 26 individuals were rescued from the debris.
