Lagos orders arrest of collapsed building’s developer, others

Agency Report

The Lagos State Government has ordered the arrest of the developer and building professionals working on the seven-floor structure that collapsed at Oba Abiodun Oniru Road in the Iru/Victoria Island area of the state.

The Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, made this known during his visit to the site of the building collapse on Sunday.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

The statement read in part, “The Commissioner said the developer and professionals on the building were liable for their disregard for the planning laws of the state, having embarked on construction without a valid Planning Permit and ignoring official warnings against continuing the building works.

“He emphasised that under no circumstances should anyone construe the filling of Application for Permit through the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority as a ticket to commence construction as there must be a valid Planning Permit from the aforementioned agency, in addition to letter of Authorisation, stage inspection at every stage and certification by the Lagos State Building Control Agency to ensure that construction works were carried out in conformity with the approval granted.

“He noted that while the State Government was investigating the circumstances surrounding the collapse, the police had started a manhunt for the developer and all professionals involved in the project such as architects, builders or engineers who are on the project.

“Salako expressed concern with the pace of disregard for law and order by actors in the built sector, stressing that the State Government was determined to restore sanity and orderliness to the sector, where it had declared incidents of building collapse intolerable.

“He enjoined Lagosians to join hands with the government in maintaining vigilance in the built environment of the state by reporting any untoward development in their vicinity through any of the Ministry or State Government communication channels, particularly the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and the Lagos State Building Control Agency.”

The building, which was under construction, collapsed in the early hours of Sunday, killing two people so far.