Abuja: a sealed building collapses in Wuse, search ongoing

The authorities of the federal capital have mobilized the Federal Capital Territory firefighters, ambulances, and several emergency services to secure the area and check if any people were still inside at the time of the collapse.

The building had been marked and sealed by the Department of Development Control. Lere Olayinka, media adviser to the FCT minister Nyesom Wike, stated that the occupants had earlier in the day been ordered to vacate the premises following the appearance of signs of structural weakness.

In the early hours of the operation, no official casualty figures had been confirmed. Authorities continued the search efforts and urged the public to wait for information from emergency services before accepting the numbers circulating on social media.

The cause of the collapse had not yet been established. A technical assessment must determine, in particular, the condition of the structure before its fall and the circumstances under which the building continued to be occupied despite the control measure taken during the day.

The incident brings to the forefront the issue of compliance with construction standards in the Nigerian capital, where federal authorities have departments responsible for monitoring permits, enforcing construction orders, and closing buildings deemed dangerous. The issue of weakened structures also arises elsewhere in West Africa: a building was notably threatened in Yopougon following the collapse of a slab in March.