Nine people have died following the collapse of a three-storey building in the Alakija area of Lagos, according to The Punch on Sunday, June 28, 2026.
One of the survivors, shop owner Kenneth Nwabueze, said he narrowly escaped the tragedy after leaving the building to deliver a client’s job shortly before the structure collapsed. “Within five minutes, I got a call that our building had collapsed. My heart skipped,” he recalled.
Nwabueze said rescue workers were able to save his secretary after he directed them to the location, but his apprentice died beneath the rubble.
He also alleged that the building had shown visible signs of structural distress before the incident. “Last week, there were visible cracks on the walls, and the landlord was informed,” he said, adding that tenants were told repairs would begin after government approval.
Expressing grief over the incident, Nwabueze said many of the victims could have been spared if timely action had been taken.
“Those people who died would not have lost their lives if the necessary things had been done,” he said, urging authorities and property owners to prioritize safety and address structural defects before they become fatal.
