Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has issued an immediate, sweeping directive ordering the total demolition of all structurally distressed and unsafe buildings surrounding the site of the recent three-storey building collapse in the Alakija area of the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area.
The executive order was made public on Friday during an extensive, multi-agency inspection tour of the disaster zone.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, who represented the Governor at the scene, extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims while confirming that the overnight search and rescue operations had concluded, bringing the final casualty count to nine fatalities and 27 survivors extricated alive from the concrete rubble.
Omotoso explicitly stated that the tragic loss of lives was completely avoidable, pinning the blame on systemic lawlessness and a culture where citizens continuously prioritize economic livelihoods over basic safety standards.
According to the state government, the collapsed residential building on Old Ojo Road had previously been officially marked as structurally distressed by emergency enforcement teams, and all occupants had been served valid notices to evacuate the premises—warnings that were ultimately ignored.
To prevent a secondary disaster, the state will forcefully clear out all compromised structures in the immediate vicinity, while urging all remaining residents in the peripheral zone to relocate with immediate effect.
"Governor Sanwo-Olu is saddened by this incident. He sends his condolences," Mr. Gbenga Omotoso stated. "This should not have happened if people had obeyed the law instead of prioritising livelihoods over lives.
The collapsed building had been marked as structurally distressed, and occupants were directed to vacate."
The Lagos State Government also promised swift and rigorous legal prosecution against the landlords and developers of the collapsed building for criminal culpability and willful defiance of building regulations.
Accompanied by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr. Gbenga Oyerinde, Omotoso sharply criticized the highly prevalent and illegal practice of erecting residential and commercial structures directly beneath high-tension electricity lines, describing it as "dangerous" and "suicidal."
He affirmed that the ongoing investigation would hold all complicit parties accountable under Lagos State environmental laws, while praising the tireless all-night efforts of first responders, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) led by Permanent Secretary Dr. Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA).
#LagosBuildingCollapse #AmuwoOdofin #BabajideSanwo-Olu #LASEMA #LASBCA #LagosNews #InfrastructureSafety
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