Posted by By Nnamdi Felix /Abuja on
A former governor in the South-South has been identified as the owner of the shopping complex which collapsed yesterday, at POW Mafemi Crescent, Utako District, Abuja.
A former governor in the South-South has been identified as the owner of the shopping complex which collapsed yesterday, at POW Mafemi Crescent, Utako District, Abuja.
The complex was allegedly completed with millions of naira while the former governor was in office. An official of the Abuja Geographical Information Service refused to confirm whether the complex was owned by a former governor or not.
Meanwhile, rescue efforts continued this morning at the scene of the collapsed shopping complex. The remains of an unidentified young man, described as a labourer in the complex, was recovered from the rubble at about 9:25 a.m. today while another male victim was rescued alive.
There was mild drama at the scene when a young man who refused to disclose his identity attempted to jump into the rubble of the collapsed building. The young man who was dressed in a pair of black trousers and white shirt, kept on asking 'where is my brother, where is my brother?"
He was restrained from jumping onto the rubble by men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. P.M.News gathered that he was taken to the hospital. As at the time of filing this report, nobody can say specifically the number of people still trapped in the building.
Earth moving equipment belonging to Dantata and Sawoe and Abuja Development Control Unit are still digging up the ruins of the collapsed building to rescue trapped victims.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, was at the scene of the disaster this morning to assess the situation, but he refused to talk to journalists after speaking with officials of the National Emergency Management Agency.
A member representing FCT in the House of Representatives, Hon. Adu, told journalists that the House will set up a committee to examine the immediate and remote causes of the collapse of the shopping complex.
Minister of State for Housing and Environment, Mr. Chuka Udom, who also visited the site blamed officials of the Development Control and Quality Assessment of the FCDA whose duty it is to enforce compliance with building codes.
'One need not be an engineer to know that what we have here is poor quality work. More casualties would have been recorded had the building been completed and occupied," he stated.