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Banana Island Building Collapse: Seven Rescued As Lagos Alleges Structure Lacks Permit

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No fewer than seven persons were rescued from the rubble of a seven-storey building under construction that collapsed on Wednesday on First Avenue, in the Banana Island area of Ikoyi, Lagos State.

As of the time of filing this report, emergency responders, who stormed the scene for rescue operation, were said to still be searching for the whereabouts of a victim that had been trapped beneath the rubble of the collapsed structure.

Construction workers, according to The Punch, were performing their daily tasks in the building that had been under construction for months when it suddenly caved in around 4.58pm.

It was learnt that while some of the workers at the site escaped unhurt with some sustaining varying degrees of injury, some other workers, who were unlucky, got trapped beneath the rubble of the collapsed structure.

In a bid to rescue the trapped victims, some eyewitnesses, including construction workers at the site of adjoining buildings within the premises, raised the alarm and alerted relevant emergency agencies who mobilised to the scene to commence rescue operations.

Speaking with one of our correspondents, an eyewitness, who does not want his name mentioned in print for fear of victimisation, said the construction workers were on the sixth floor of the building attempting to lay the seventh floor when the tragedy struck.

He said, “As I speak with you, nobody has been confirmed dead and from the look of things, it is not certain that anybody will die. Only one victim is still trapped under the rubble of the collapsed structure and concerted efforts by emergency responders are ongoing to ensure that the person is rescued alive.

“As the rescue operation is ongoing, the emergency workers are confirming the number of people rescued in line with the registered number of people at the site and also with the involvement of the developers who are on the ground.

“At the site, three buildings were under construction and only one of the three buildings under construction collapsed. The workers were working on the sixth floor and were trying to lay the seventh floor when the building collapsed.”

PUNCH Metro gathered that the two other buildings under construction alongside the collapsed building are still intact but an integrity test would be conducted on the two buildings to prevent another collapse.

However, in a trending video showing moments shortly after the building caved in, eyewitnesses while lamenting over the development, were heard urging people to rush a rescued victim to the hospital for treatment.

The rescued victim, who was seen wailing after surviving the tragedy, said, “I have been going to work but this work is different. I thank God. Nah God I go dey call, I thank God oo.”

Reacting to the development, the General Manager, Lagos State Fire Service, Margaret Adeseye, said no fewer than seven persons were rescued with varying degrees of injury, adding that one person was still trapped.

Adeseye said, “The seven-storey building that collapsed is one out of the three high-rise structures under construction. The other two nine-storey are still standing.

“Seven persons were rescued alive with varying degrees of injury, while one person is still trapped as search-and-rescue operations are still ongoing until ground zero is achieved. An investigation has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the collapse.”

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, in a statement posted on its verified Facebook page, said no approval was given for the construction of the collapsed structure.

The ministry’s Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Mukaila Sanusi, in the statement, said an investigation had commenced into the incident.

The statement read, “An unapproved seven-floor building under construction has collapsed in Banana Island, Lagos State, this evening.

“Few who sustained injuries are being treated. There is no fatality. This unfortunate incident happened while casting was being done.

“The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins, was immediately on site to assess the situation and flag off the investigation. We ask members of the public to remain calm and expect further information from the ministry as we know more.”

However, the building that collapsed in Banana Island on Wednesday adds to a long list of building collapses recorded in the state in recent times.

On January 19, a storey building located at number 12 Aromire Avenue, opposite Dominos Pizza, Ikeja, suddenly collapsed around 6.45pm, killing one person in the process.

According to documents obtained from the Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Lagos State has recorded a staggering 115 building collapses in the past 10 years. In 2022 alone, the state recorded 20 incidents of building collapse.

Reacting, the pioneer President of the Building Collapse Prevention Guild, Kunle Awobodu, said the guild had commenced its own inquiry to ascertain the cause of the collapse.

He said, “Banana Island has a very high value when it comes to property development in the whole of Nigeria. It is a place where nobody anticipated substandard construction or envisaged substandard construction. This is the climax of the building collapse embarrassment, because of that peculiar location. That is our concern.”

Also commenting on the development, the Treasurer, Nigerian Institute of Builders, Lagos State, Philips Ayotunde, said lack of government oversight was responsible for the continuous building collapse episodes recorded in the state.

Philips said, “The government is not ready to do the right thing. If you say a building does not have approval, and yet, you see them commence work. They get to the first, second, third, fourth, all the way to the seventh floor, for heaven’s sake, a seven-storey building will not grow overnight. They have LASBCA officials in every district. What are the officials in that place doing?

“The government cannot exonerate themselves. Where were they when the building was under construction? It is a national shame. I have been getting messages from outside the country for the past hour. This is Banana Island we are talking about. Investors will lose confidence. Both local and international investors will begin to shy away from our real estate sector.”

The Punch

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Sack Wike Now, Niger Delta Youths Tell Tinubu

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The youth chapter of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Nyesom Wike, to retract his publicly disparaging remarks against the Ijaw nation and the leaders of this socio-political body.

According to the youths, it is embarrassing that Wike insulted the late former Federal Commissioner for Information and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin Clark, even in death without respecting him.

Addressing journalists on Saturday, the National Youth President of the Youth Wing, Doben Donyegha, who gave the ultimatum, said that it was annoying that Wike abused the leaders of the South-South geopolitical zone less than 24 hours after its delegation met with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Wike, during a media chat on Thursday, described PANDEF as “the worst organisation anybody can rely on”, while also calling the board of trustee members of the body “political merchants”.

Donyegha, who also urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately sack the minister from his cabinet, said that the youth wing no longer had confidence in him and that keeping Wike in his cabinet may affect the president’s re-election chances in the Niger Delta come 2027.

The President of the PANDEF youths also asked the Code of Conduct Bureau to investigate the minister, alleging land-grabbing activities in the FCT.

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Ahead Budget Presentation, Amaewhule-led Rivers Assembly Adjourns Sitting Indefinitely

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The Rivers State House of Assembly has adjourned its sittings indefinitely.

The decision to adjourn legislative duties indefinitely was reached during plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, in Port Harcourt on Friday.

The development comes hours after the State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, wrote to the Speaker, informing him of his intention to visit the House to present the 2025 Appropriation Bill for consideration and approval.

The governor, in a letter dated March 13 and addressed to the Speaker, Martin Amaewhule, said he intends to present the budget on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, or any other day within March that the House may deem fit.

Fubara said his decision is in compliance with the Supreme Court judgment and in response to the lawmakers’ request for him to re-present the budget.

He recalled the bitter experience of visiting the Assembly Quarters with his entourage, where the lawmakers were temporarily sitting to present the budget, but he was denied access to the complex.

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Suspension: Natasha Sues Akpabio, Others for Contempt

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The Senator representing Kogi Central Senatorial District, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has filed contempt charges against the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and others over her six-month suspension without pay from the Senate.

Others listed in the Form 48 contempt charge, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja and sighted on Thursday, include the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct, Senator Neda Imasuen.

It will be recalled that Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on 4 March, while delivering a ruling on an ex parte motion filed by Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan through her legal team led by Mr. Michael Numa (SAN), restrained the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Code of Conduct from proceeding with any investigation against the plaintiff/applicant.

This investigation related to alleged misconduct following events that occurred during the Senate plenary session on February 20, 2025 and a subsequent referral on February 25, 2025.

The court’s order was to remain in effect pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice for an interlocutory injunction.

The court also issued an order directing the defendants to show cause why an interlocutory injunction should not be granted to restrain them from proceeding with the purported investigation against Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for alleged misconduct, as such actions would affect her privileges as stipulated in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), the Senate Standing Order 2023, and the Legislative Houses (Powers and Privileges) Act.

Additionally, the court declared that “any action taken during the pendency of the suit is null, void, and of no effect whatsoever.”

The Court granted Akpoti-Uduaghan permission to serve the originating summons and accompanying documents on all defendants through substituted means, such as delivering them to the Clerk of the National Assembly, cited as the 1st Defendant, or by pasting them on the premises of the National Assembly and publishing them in two national dailies.

However, just two days after the court’s ruling, the Senate proceeded to suspend Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan for six months.

In response to the court order, the Senate President contested the power of the court to interfere in the internal affairs of the legislature, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction to intervene in Senate matters.

In her contempt charge, Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan argued that her suspension constituted wilful disobedience to the subsisting court order issued on March 4 stating that an enrolled order of the interim injunction issued by Justice Egwuatu was duly served on the defendants on March 5.

According to Form 48, the defendants/contemnors “deliberately and contumaciously disregarded” the binding directive of the court and “proceeded with acts in flagrant defiance of the authority of the court.”

The court, in a notice of disobedience of a court order signed by its Registrar pursuant to Section 72 of the Sheriff and Civil Process Act 2004, informed the defendants/contemnors of their wilful disobedience to the court order issued by Justice Obiora Egwuatu.

It warned that defying the subsisting order rendered Akpabio, Senator Imasuen, and the Clerk of the National Assembly liable for contempt of court, which could result in their committal to prison.

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