*LCDA chairman calls for partnership
More revelations are coming out after the building collapse that happened on Saturday, April 19, 2025, that claimed the lives of six people.
Over 20 persons were rescued in the building occupied by Equal Right Restaurant, Oremeta, Ojodu Berger area of Lagos.
Spokesperson of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Ademuyiwa Adu, lamented that the residents of the area were aware of the state of the building but did not report to either the agency or the Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory (LSMTL) which is 200 metres away from the scene of the incident.
It was said that after the CEO and Managing Director of Equal Right Restaurant, Mariam Omotanwa Salua, bought the building, she began renovation and adding more pillars, but the government agency was not carried along.
Chairman, All Ojodu Communities Development Association, Alhaji Abdulganiu Sani, had blamed LASBCA od not living up to its responsibility.
He told The Guardian: “I wasn’t aware of the state of the building before it collapsed, but I was called when the incident happened while I was preparing to travel, and we called an ambulance and the Police to be at the scene.
When asked what the body is doing to join government efforts to prevent building collapse, he said: “This is not our job but that of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), who have the role to mark substandard buildings for demolition, but they failed. If LASBCA had done a proper job, this wouldn’t have happened.
Speaking with The Guardian, Adu, said: “They didn’t make any report before the collapse. That place is close to material testing, but they didn’t talk about that. LASBCA will mark a building, but people within the area will blame us and pounce on us. They are questioning our work and declining to go to material testing.
“The woman bought the building, and there’s no paper from LASBCA for any work to commence on the building. They carry out construction work at midnight, and nobody condemns them.
“We will sanitise Oremate and the environment.”
Speaking also, Chairman, Ojodu Local Council Development Area, Segun Odunmbaku, said: “I give kudos to the security agencies, first responders, community leaders, everyone that comes together. This is an unfortunate incident. We have been to the hospital to ascertain the level of injuries, and we will be with them in this difficult time.
“We have the agencies of government checking ongoing buildings. We are employing everyone carrying out construction work at this moment to go through the right processes, get the right processes and invite the necessary agencies to check the construction to forestall this kind of incident in future.
“We are working together with the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), and we will continue to partner to ensure such never happens again. “
