Following a building collapse in Onamo Agboye Estate complex in Oduntan Street, Kosofe area of Ketu, Lagos, 3,000 inhabitants of the complex including women and children have been thrown into harsh conditions.
The incident, which led to the demolition of the building by officials of the Lagos State government, has rendered many residents homeless.
Sunday Vanguard learned that the estate had blocks A to M and each block had a three or four-storey building with about 50 rooms each.
When Sunday Vanguard visited the scene of the building collapse, several tenants were seen hopelessly standing while others tried to park a few of their belongings.
While some tenants were seen selling off their household items like refridgerators and fans, the properties of other tenants were littered all over the streets.
Speaking to Sunday Vanguard, a 52-year-old teacher, Nwakunor Caesar, who occupied a two-room self-contained apartment in one of the buildings, said: “I live here with my wife and children. On Saturday afternoon, I was at the balcony when it was raining. I noticed that some tenants started running because a part of block A had collapsed. The collapse caused tension in the estate and some of the tenants ran to our block for safety.
“When fire service officials came, they discovered that it was not a fire outbreak. They alerted officials of Lagos State Building Control Agency because of the vibration. On Sunday, more blocks collapsed including the apartment of the landlord. It fell on so many people and killed a man who came to help a tenant salvage some of their properties. A whole block collapsed on him, killing him in the process. Other people sustained injuries. Officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency who were at the scene had to stop people from entering the building to pick up their things.
“I noticed that something was wrong with the building immediately I paid and parked into the building six years ago. We have issues with water and nothing seems to be working in the estate. When the house developed issues years ago, the landlord, Chief Agboye, began to take palliative measures despite advise from professionals that the house was sinking.
The load the building carried was more than the building itself. The foundation is weak too. The population strength is too much. The landlord knew that the place was faulty and he refused to do the needful. Can you see what his inactions have caused us? Unfortunately for me, a few days ago I went to pay my house rent. Now, my family is stranded and homeless. He has rendered over 3,000 people homeless and most of these people have no money.
“Thieves are stealing people’s properties, I have lost my complete set of pots, teaching board and so many other things. If you keep your property and rush back to pick up another; on coming back, you will not see it again. Some will come to help, but in the real sense, they are not coming to help but to steal and sell your belongings.”
Lamenting, Amaka, a mother of four said: “We just packed into this building about two months ago. Yesterday, my children and I slept in a church building. As it is, we are stranded and homeless.
And many of our properties have been lost. Some people are selling their properties to eat. A neighbour just sold his refridgerator for N10,000. You can’t be squatting in another person’s house with children and household items.”
Calling on government, another tenant, Chinedu, said: “I need help seriously. I have a wife and children. Apart from the children I have, we have a premature baby, and my wife who had stroke is just recovering. It is not quite long she came back from the hospital, and now, this tragedy. Since the incident happened, my family and I have been squatting with relatives.
“Government needs to help provide temporary shelter or give financial support because many of us have nowhere to sleep. Some are even sleeping in churches. Like me, many of the residents are also confused. I am having issues evacuating some of my properties, I don’t know what to do.”
Reacting to the development, the landlord’s lawyer, Efe Kwakpovwe, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, said: “Not all part of the building is defective. Although you can see some parts are shifting, and a bit bent, some other parts are not defective. They should bring down the defective part of the building and allow chief to restructure it back.
“I went to the Lagos State Building Control Agency to see the general manager, but he was unavailable. A colleague there told me, the process of building collapse entails forfeiture.
What is happening to the residents who are stranded at the moment is so unfortunate. There is nothing anybody can do about that. It is a pity actually.” (Vanguard)
