Posted by By Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa on
Scores of tenants, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital cheated death when the building they lived in collapsed but they survived.
Scores of tenants, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital cheated death when the building they lived in collapsed but they survived.
It was gathered that the building, situated at No 7 Amarata Road, Yenagoa, was being raised to accommodate additional flats when it caved in and destroyed three rooms adjacent to it.
The occupants of the rooms, Miss Timi Odubu, a student of Niger Delta University , (NDU) and Mr. Prince Gbarama, a student of International Institute of Journalism, lost their entire property in the incident. Gbarama surved with a broken arm.
Narrating his story to Daily Sun, Gbarama said: 'On Sunday at about 10 pm I went to bed and had a dream that somebody was using a big stick to hammer my jaw. I woke up and immediately knew it was an attack.
'I prayed and after my prayers, I went back to sleep. One hour later I heard a sound like a raging storm and the next thing I knew was that I was outside the room. While outside, blocks falling from the passage hit my right arm, but I still managed to run out."
Gbarama said that efforts to reach the landlady failed as she was said to have travelled for a burial ceremony, but they were reassured that as soon as she comes back, she would attend to them.
'We have been trying to go and see the woman. We were told she went for a burial, but on the night of March 27 she came to the area and only met with the landlord of our house and negotiated how to rebuild the house. We have been trying to get in touch with her for my treatment and some of the things destroyed, but all to no avail," he said.
Though Gbarama is thanking God for sparing his life, he said he might resort to the law court to seek redress if nothing was done about his destroyed property and injury.
Already he has contacted his lawyer and lodged a report with the police.
The other victim, Miss Odubu, seems to have resigned to fate as she said that what happened was an indication that the Nigerian society thrives in injustice