Ikoyi building: lnvestigation team indicts regulatory bodies, Fashola tasks council on ending building collapse

After a long wait on the investigation into the 21-story building that collapsed tragically in Ikoyi, Lagos state, the truth has emerged. However, the most intriguing part of the investigation is the indictment of government agencies for their compromise and complacency

The Coroner's inquest team led by Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe on Tuesday, August 9,  revealed the reason behind the collapse of the 21-story building in Ikoyi on Monday, November 1, 2021.

Komolafe now revealed that the Ikoyi building collapse was as a result of lack of adherence to the necessary steps and practices required before  commencement of the construction.

The tragic collapse of the 21-storey building in Ikoyo. Photo: NEMA Source: Facebook

The Lagos Island Coroner Division, at Court 4, Surulere, in a judgment by Magistrate Komolafe confirmed that these reasons were what led to the tragic incident.

The findings of the inquest team also revealed that there was a series of violations in the stipulations of the Lagos state building regulations. 

Komolafe also disclosed that there was a deliberate omission of the bio-data of the project board who ordinarily should have provided their details before the commencement of the project.

He further stated that the relevant agencies in the state who were supposed to sanction the gross misconduct of the contractors failed to do so due to the fact that they were compromised.

He said:

“The building structure failure was due to the design errors and combined stress failure of the columns at the lower floors."

Komolafe added that investigations carried out further unearthed poor management of the project site as well as lack of quality assurance/control

It will be recalled that over 40 persons were reported dead during the tragic incident of the 21-story building that collapsed in Ikoyi.

The casualty recorded at the scene of the incident was confirmed by the acting coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).Ibrahim Farinloye who confirmed that the collapsed building is located on Gerrard Road around the Ikoyi area.

Meanwhile, further details of the tragic incident were unraveled by some of the first-hand witnesses at the scene of the incident.

These details were given by a survivor of the building collapse who is receiving treatment in one of the hospitals in Lagos state.

The survivor said he has also been warned not to speak to anyone about the incident of the building collapse.

Meanwhile in a related news.Works and Housing Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has urged the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) to find lasting solutions  to the incessant cases of building collapse in the country.

He gave the charge in Abuja, while inaugurating the Seventh Council of CORBON, said that professionalism would be needed more in the journey of nation building.

The minister urged them to imbibe professionalism and ensure that the ethics guiding the profession were upheld.

He said that the need for professionalism necessitated the mandate by President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the board, therefore advising them not to let down their guard

“As a professional body,  you should know every subject in your area, be masters of the game and a controller of the skills, if you use your skills well you will not have unusual results".

He urged them not to compromise the ethics of the profession and not allow religious, tribe or any factor influence them to lower the bar,

The Chairman of the Council, Dr Samson Opaluwa, in his remarks pledged the council’s commitment to uphold the ethics guiding the profession.

Opaluwa said that council was established to regulate the practice of building construction, maintenance, and management in Nigeria, regulate and control the practice of Building profession in all its aspects and ramifications.