Ojodu Building Collapse: Death Toll Hits 8 as Two More Bodies Found, Owner Arrested

Ojodu Building Collapse: Death Toll Hits 8 as Two More Bodies Found, Owner Arrested

The tragic collapse of a three-storey building in Ojodu-Berger, Lagos, has claimed more lives as two additional bodies were pulled from the rubble yesterday, bringing the death toll to eight.

The structure, located at No. 10 Oremeta Street, crumbled around 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Initially, six casualties were confirmed, with 20 others rescued. However, rescue efforts continued into Monday as emergency teams searched the debris for the missing.

Emotions ran high at the site as families, sympathisers and residents gathered, mourning the latest discovery. The building had served multiple purposes—housing a bar, an eatery, and providing parking space on the ground floor—while the upper levels remained unoccupied at the time of the incident.

Reports indicate that construction had resumed on the top floor shortly before the collapse. Eyewitnesses noted that the building’s renovation was ongoing, allegedly without notifying relevant authorities. The Chief Executive Officer of Equal Rights Restaurant, Mariam Omotanwa Salua, was said to be behind the unapproved renovations, including the addition of new pillars.

Sources revealed that the two newly discovered victims were staff of Equal Rights Restaurant, which operated on the ground floor and was popular among locals.

Survivors of the incident, mainly women, are currently receiving treatment at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

Authorities have since arrested the building’s owner, Mr. Sani Salau, who is expected to face prosecution.

A local resident shared that a 22-year-old employee, Ayomide Adebola, was feared trapped under the rubble. A disc jockey who narrowly escaped the collapse said: “I rushed upstairs to warn others, but some didn’t take me seriously. I left with a few people just before the building collapsed.”

Alhaji Abdulganiu Sani, Chairman of the All Ojodu Communities Development Association, criticized the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) for negligence, asserting that the building had long shown signs of distress and should have been marked for demolition.

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Responding to the backlash, LASBCA spokesperson Ademuyiwa Adu said the agency was not alerted about the structure’s condition. “Residents were aware of the poor state of the building but failed to report it to LASBCA or the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory (LSMTL),” he said.

Meanwhile, security personnel had to fend off scavengers attempting to remove metal reinforcements from the debris. Only designated trucks were permitted to clear materials from the site. Emergency agencies, including LASEMA and LASBCA, continue their cleanup and investigation efforts.