At least eight persons, including a mother and her child, have died from a building collapse that occurred in the Ebute-Meta area of Lagos State.
The three-story building, located at No. 24 Ibadan Street, off Herbert Macaulay Way, Ebute-Meta Sunday night at about 10.56 pm, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
Reacting to the reports of the building collapse, President Muhammadu Buhari lamented over what he described as “embarrassing” frequency of building collapse in Nigeria.
Ibrahim Farinloye, Acting Southwest Coordinator of NEMA, told journalists in Logos on Monday that the agency had early in the day rescued a total of 23 persons from the rubble, while search operations were still going on.
President Buhari commiserated with families of the dead and injured. His message was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, under the title, ‘President Buhari condoles with victims of Lagos building collapse’.
The statement said: “The President, who is pained by this tragic incident, salutes the courage and determination of the first responders, national and sub-national emergency agencies in Lagos State, and compassionate Nigerians, whose immediate action in the aftermath of the collapse of the three-storey building led to the rescue of several persons, including many children.
“Regrettably, the President notes that the frequency of building collapses in the country has become increasingly embarrassing, urging the relevant state authorities to work closely with professional bodies to put a halt to these unfortunate but preventable incidents.”
