The Lagos State Government in a strong message to unscrupulous developers has directed the prosecution of the developer of the three-storey building under construction that collapsed in Onike area of the state, on Saturday, killing 5 persons.

According to tweet posts by the Lagos State Government on its official Twitter handle, this was made known on Sunday evening by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr Idris Salako, who said that the Lagos State Building Control Agency had been mandated to liaise with the police so as to proceed to court and press charges against the developer.

The developer had been held for violating the state government’s physical planning laws and stop-work order.

What the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development is saying

Salako said, “The government regrets the needless loss of lives and property, due to his unlawful conduct and antics of defying stop-work orders as well as evading supervision.

“It is hoped that his prosecution would send a strong warning to all recalcitrant developers that it was mandatory to Build Right and engage professionals in constructing buildings in Lagos state as we will not hesitate to bring to book whoever errs against the law.’’

Salako added that excavation of the site by emergency responders, including the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) was “still ongoing and will continue until it is levelled to ground zero.”

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Nairametrics on Sunday reported that a 3-storey building under construction had collapsed in the Yaba area of Lagos with a total of 5 dead bodies recovered and 2 others rescued alive as some workers were still reportedly trapped under the rubble.
This was confirmed by the Zonal Coordinator, Southwest, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, on Saturday in Lagos.
Farinloye said that a 3-Storey Building under construction at No. 16 Akanbi crescent, off Adesina Street, Harvey, Sabo, Yaba, was said to have given signs with rubbles falling from it on Thursday.
He said that a proper investigation of the cause of the collapse will be carried out by the state government to determine the cause of the collapse after the emergency phase at the site.

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