The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Nigeria Police has launched an investigation into a building collapse that occurred in Sabon Lugbe, along the Airport Road in Abuja, on Saturday. The tragic incident claimed seven lives, while five others were rescued from the rubble. The building, located at Gidash Estate, was reportedly marked for demolition by the FCT’s Department of Development Control due to structural concerns.
According to a statement released on Sunday by the Head of Public Affairs for the FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD), Nkechi Isa, the acting Director General of FEMD, Abdulrahman Mohammed, confirmed that those who lost their lives were scavengers attempting to retrieve iron rods and other materials from the marked building.
“What happened is that the structure was marked for removal by development control. These individuals, taking advantage of the weekend when no demolition activities were scheduled, entered to strip the iron rods from the building pillars, leading to the unfortunate incident,” Mohammed explained.
The statement further noted that the Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, FCT chapter, Mohammed Hussein, confirmed that five of the deceased were members of the association. Additionally, the FEMD reported that seven other individuals were pulled from the debris during the rescue operation. The search and rescue efforts have since been called off, as excavation of the site revealed no additional individuals trapped beneath the rubble.
Mohammed also appealed to scavengers to avoid demolition sites, stressing the importance of allowing authorized agencies to safely conduct demolition activities to prevent future tragedies.
Isa, the FEMD spokesperson, shared additional details, recounting a particularly unfortunate twist involving two of the victims. These individuals had been initially rescued from the collapsed building and treated at the scene. However, they returned to scavenge from another nearby structure despite repeated warnings. Isa recounted, “The two scavengers were rescued earlier but returned despite our warnings. They even became violent when advised to stay away, and tragically, they fell from a second building and lost their lives.”
This incident highlights the ongoing risks surrounding unauthorized scavenging at demolition sites, and FEMD has urged the public to heed safety measures to prevent similar occurrences.
