Five persons were rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building at Vidaz Estate, within the Sabon Lugbe Extension of Abuja.
About 40 people were reportedly trapped in the collapsed storey building at a suburban community in Abuja while at least seven people have reportedly died in the incident.
Many occupants of the building sustained injuries, the Federal Capital Territory Emergency Department (FEMD) said.
Nkechi Isa, the FEMD spokesperson, told Premium Times on Sunday that the official death toll from the collapse is seven.
The collapse, which occurred around 5 p.m. on Saturday, left a harrowing scene as residents scrambled to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble.
Videos shared across social media on Saturday depicted frantic scenes of onlookers and residents digging through debris with their hands and makeshift tools in the absence of emergency responders. Their swift, improvised actions became a lifeline to the victims trapped below.
Meanwhile, in a statement signed by SP Josephine Adeh, the Police Public Relations Officer for the FCT Police Command, on Sunday, the police said no casualties had been recorded.
The police added that preliminary investigations revealed that the FCT authorities had previously demolished the building, as it was located in an illegally acquired area.
Adeh, however, explained that scavengers were at the site of the demolished building to retrieve scrap metal, which then led to the compromise of the structure and its resulting secondary collapse.
She, therefore, urged residents to respect the boundaries of demolished structures to avoid any similar occurrences in the future.
The statement reads, “The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has confirmed the collapse of a building situated in Vidaz Estate, within the Sabon Lugbe extension, FCT. Our preliminary investigations reveal that the building was previously demolished by the FCT authorities due to its location in an illegally acquired area.”
“Regrettably, the structure was further compromised by scavengers who had been tampering with the remnants for scrap metal, ultimately leading to its secondary collapse.
“A total of five individuals were successfully rescued from the debris, and there were no reported fatalities. In light of this incident, we urge the public to respect the boundaries of demolished structures and construction sites, ensuring their safety and preventing similar occurrences in the future.”
Meanwhile, the FCT Director of Development Control, Muktar Galadima, also issued a statement on Sunday, stating that news of the collapsed building was “just propaganda”.
He clarified that the building is within the site currently under demolition as of Thursday, adding that information gathered indicated that the site recorded an influx of over 500 scavengers, which triggered the remains of a demolished slab to fall on them.
“This is to bring to the notice of the Department that the media publication regarding the collapse of a multi-storey building in Lugbe is just propaganda. The subject building is within the site currently under demolition, and the subject structure was an uncompleted building that was demolished on Thursday.
“Information gathered indicates that the site recorded a mass influx of scavengers (over 500 in number) pulling down and carting away the remains of iron rods. Their activities triggered the remains of a demolished slab to fall on them,” he stated.
