A government official has said the collapsed building in Lagos was sealed three times but the developer refused to halt construction.
Six persons were said to have been trapped after a seven-story building collapsed at Palace Estate, Oba Idowu Oniru Street, Lagos on Sunday.
So far, two bodies have been recovered in the rubble.
The state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Idris Salako, told journalists at the scene that the building developer has been “hostile” to the agency’s officials sent to seal the site.
Salako refused to mention the developer’s name, instead, he told journalists that the police would disclose the identity.
“We have a developer that is hostile and who contravenes the law of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning, 2019, as amended, and he did not get the necessary planning permit that will allow him to do that, he did not have the prerequisite authorisation to commence construction on the site,” he said.
“Several times, the officers of the Lagos State Building Control Agency have visited this site and the attitude of the contractor has been that of hostility, he has been using his personal security to stop them from carrying out their lawful duty.
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“But, the government will look at the site and investigate and we will look at the necessary thing to be done; the law is clear on what should be done and we will apply that.
“The developer has been dropping names any time our officers visit the place; we have sealed the site three times and he kept breaking the seal. Again, what were those trapped doing on-site that time?”
Olufemi Osanyintolu, permanent secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Agency, told journalists at the incident scene that the building was earlier sealed on 18 February 2021.
He added that the recovered bodies have been taken to the morgue.
Ibrahim Farinloye, Southwest coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency, also said that so far no family member has come to claim the bodies or those trapped in the debris.
He further said that he gathered that the persons trapped in the rubble slept on the third floor.
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