Posted by Evelyn Usman on
As reporters of both printing and broadcasting media houses struggled to have shots of the six- month- old baby.....
As reporters of both printing and broadcasting media houses struggled to have shots of the six- month- old baby, Joy, who happened to be the only victim of the Lagos collapsed building that was rescued alive without a scratch, it was certain that she never had an inkling of what was going on around her, as she cuddled her mother, apparently thinking someone wanted to carry her from the mother. At a point, she started whimpering which made some of the reporters to halt, pending when she would be calm. But her elated mother, who was also among those rescued from the rubble, not without some deep cuts though, urged the reporters to go ahead with what they were doing.
Mrs Ogechi Alibe, Joy's mother, could not hold back the tears that flowed freely down her cheeks as she narrated what she described as the most miraculous deed of the Almighty God on that fateful Tuesday. Not only was she over-joyed that she was not among the dead, but that her brother in-law who was in her food canteen on the ground floor of the collapsed building and her little and only child after the death of her son two years ago were also alive.
Her story: 'I was among those that were rescued alive from the rubble that was once a four-storey building. Above all, I give thanks to the Almighty God that spared my life and those of members of my family from being among the casualty. In fact, I am so elated that my six-month old baby, Joy, was the only child that was rescued , not only alive but without a single scratch. What would have been my fate if she was among those that......, no!(she exclaimed), I don't want to mention the word death because God has given us victory over it.
'In fact, I can not tell how it all happened. I opened the canteen that used to be here(pointing at the exact position the food canteen was) about a month ago after paying N92,000 for two years. When I started selling, I noticed the building was not that strong but I did not know it would collapse so soon. Several times when customers came to buy drinks, they would slant the seats against the wall of the store and, gradually, we began to notice sand and cement coming out of the wall. Some of them warned me against a possible collapse and I promised to relocate after the expiration of the two years rent which would have expired late next year. But that was not to be because the unfortunate incident took us unawares and claimed many lives.
'On that fateful day, Tuesday to be precise, my husband came to the shop as he used to do. After a while, he left with a promise to come back to pick his nephew, my baby and I. Immediately he left, I went to the toilet. While answering the call of nature, I heard a bang followed by simultaneous creams. I quickly jumped out with the aim of making for where my baby was, caring less to even cover myself. But then, I observed that the toilet also sank. I then started shouting 'Jesus save me, Jesus save me." At that moment , all I cared about was to find an escape route. But, as I managed to make my way through the dark, I was hit by a heavy brick . Then, hopes of getting out alive was gone. But the luck I had was that I just positioned myself in the direction the shop was because I knew it led to the open. But, in the process, a rod pierced through my leg. But I kept on moving caring less about the pain.
'When I got to the entrance of the shop, I shouted for help and people who had gathered to rescue victims dragged me out. But there was an obstacle and that was the rod . I did not know how and when I was taken to Dunik Hospital . I woke up the next day only to realize that I was alive, hale and hearty"
Before she continued with the story of how her six-month old baby survived without a scratch, Mrs Ogechi broke down in tears, this time, tears of joy. ' My sisters and brothers, I can not give a vivid explanation of how my baby was rescued because like, I told you , I had gone to the toilet when it happened. But while I regained consciousness in the hospital, the first person I asked after was my baby. I was already feeling apprehensive and would have passed out if I was given a negative reply because Joy is my only baby at the moment. Let me not bore you with the emotional trauma I went through before God finally gave her to me . This was after I lost a child two years ago. We named her Joy, and, true to her name, God never allowed us to sorrow over her. I was told that immediately the building collapsed, one of the customers, Wasiu by name, who was playing with the baby at that moment , clung unto her as if his whole life depended on the baby. He managed to find his way to the entrance of the shop and flung Joy out to the waiting hands of rescuers while he was trapped but was later rescued alive . How he did that remained a puzzle till this very moment. I learnt he collapsed and had been in coma since yesterday. But I have not gone to see him because I don't know the hospital he was taken to . In fact, I do not know how to thank him when I eventually set my eyes on him. Imagine, he risked his life just to save that of my baby."
Her brother -in-law whom she identified as Kelechi, according to her, was still in hospital. Continuing, she said, ' My brother in-law that stays with me Kelechi was also in the shop when the building caved in. Like everyone of us, he managed to escape. When he came to the hospital, he narrated that he was about giving a customer a bottle of Star when all of a sudden the building collapsed. In his own case, he was saved by the fridge because the stones fell on the fridge and not on him. He used the fridge as defense. Had the heavy bricks landed on him, we would have been telling a different tale today. We were both rushed to Saint Stephen Hospital where we deposited N10,000 before treatment could commence. We were later referred to Dunik Hospital where we paid only N4,000 because it is our family clinic.
'I thank the Lord Almighty for sparing members of my family from this calamity. Who am I ? Am I better than those that are dead? I learnt one of my regular customers died in the process of taking his pepper soup. In fact, 8 July 2006 will forever remain in my memory. It was a day God proved himself as a mighty and defending God to my family."