Lagos to demolish marked buildings after mall collapse
The Lagos State Government has announced plans to demolish all structurally distressed buildings previously marked for removal in the Alakija area of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area following the collapse of a three-storey building that claimed nine lives and left 27 others rescued.
The announcement came as emergency management agencies concluded rescue operations at the site of the incident.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, disclosed the decision on Friday while briefing journalists during an inspection of the collapse site on behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
Omotoso expressed the government’s condolences to the families of the victims and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting lives through strict enforcement of building regulations.
“On behalf of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, we commiserate with the families who have lost their loved ones. We pray that we never witness this kind of tragedy again,” he said.
He noted that emergency responders were immediately deployed after the incident, leading to the successful rescue of 27 trapped victims.
“I want to commend all our emergency responders, including LASEMA, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LASBCA, the Police, the Military, the Command and Control Centre and other agencies for their swift response. By the grace of God, 27 people were rescued alive, although, sadly, nine lives were lost,” he said.
Omotoso revealed that the collapsed building had previously been identified as structurally defective and marked for evacuation, but the occupants failed to comply with the government’s directive.
