By John Umeh
A wave of grief swept through Cole Street in the Oyingbo area of Lagos on Monday after a two-storey building collapsed in the dead of night, killing one person and injuring 26 others. Eyewitnesses and residents have revealed that the occupants had long ignored repeated warnings and visible signs that the structure was on the brink of collapse.
Emergency agencies including the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Red Cross, and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps rushed to the scene shortly after the incident, launching frantic rescue operations amid debris, mangled motorcycles, and shattered goods.
Ignored Warnings and Visible Cracks
When The Guardian visited the site, grief and disbelief hung heavily in the air. Residents recounted how authorities had repeatedly warned tenants to vacate the building after it was declared structurally unsafe, but their pleas fell on deaf ears.
Mrs. Adaeze, a shop owner who operated on the ground floor of the ill-fated building, lamented the loss of her goods worth millions of naira. Fighting back tears, she said,
“I was called around midnight that the building had gone down. By the time I got here, everything was gone—my shop, my goods, everything. We had been warned several times to move out because the building was distressed, but the owner refused to take action. Now look at the result.”
The woman called on the Lagos State Government to provide assistance to traders and tenants who lost their livelihoods overnight.
A Midnight Collapse After Heavy Rainfall
Another resident, Habeeb Jamiu, who lives a few blocks away, said the tragedy struck shortly after a heavy downpour that lasted through the night.
“It happened around 1 a.m., just after the rain stopped,” he said. “We heard people screaming from under the debris, crying for help. Before emergency workers arrived, some of us had already started pulling people out.”
Jamiu noted that the building’s deterioration was no secret to anyone living in the area. Cracks zigzagged across the walls, and sections of the structure had begun to tilt visibly in recent weeks.
“Anyone who passed by could see it was dangerous,” he added. “But some of the tenants said they had nowhere else to go. That’s how they ended up trapped.”
More Testimonies from Witnesses
Hakeem Ibrahim, another eyewitness, said he rushed to the scene after noticing police and ambulance sirens heading toward Cole Street.
“By the time I arrived, people were shouting and trying to dig with their bare hands. The building was already flattened. Some survivors were being carried out unconscious. It was a chaotic scene,” Ibrahim recounted.
He expressed fears that more bodies could still be under the rubble, given how many people lived in the building.
“It was overcrowded. I wouldn’t be surprised if more people are discovered,” he said.
Emergency Response and Casualties
The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that 26 people had been rescued alive, while one person was found dead at the scene. The agency’s Controller General, Margaret Adeseye, described the collapse as “another avoidable tragedy,” noting that the building had previously been marked as unsafe.
In her situation report, Adeseye stated:
“One person was recovered dead, while 26 survivors were rescued alive. The structure had been previously identified as distressed before giving way.”
Officials said all rescued victims were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, though medical staff informed reporters that many were in critical condition and unable to speak.
Recurring Pattern of Negligence in Lagos
The latest collapse adds to a worrying trend of structural failures across Lagos State in 2025. Just last month, on September 25, six people were rescued after a two-storey building crumbled on Modupeola Street in the Alimosho area. Earlier, on September 16, two construction workers were pulled from the rubble of a collapsed site in Ebute Metta after being trapped for four days.
Urban safety experts have linked the recurring collapses to weak enforcement of building standards, substandard materials, and the disregard of safety warnings.
Despite multiple public advisories, many property owners and tenants reportedly continue to ignore evacuation notices issued by LASBCA and other agencies—often until tragedy strikes.
Government Reaction and Next Steps
Officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning have cordoned off the affected area, with bulldozers and rescue workers still combing through the rubble as of Tuesday morning. Authorities say a formal investigation has begun to determine the exact cause of the collapse and whether the building’s owner will face prosecution.
Meanwhile, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has reportedly directed that emergency relief be provided to displaced victims and families of the deceased.
Residents of Cole Street are demanding that the state take firmer action against landlords who ignore government warnings.
“We are tired of losing lives like this,” said one resident, who gave his name simply as Bamidele. “If the government marks a building as unsafe, they should demolish it immediately—not wait until people die.”
A City in Need of Reform
The Oyingbo tragedy once again underscores the urgent need for structural audits and stricter enforcement of safety regulations across Lagos. Experts say that until developers, property owners, and regulatory authorities treat safety as non-negotiable, the state will continue to witness deadly collapses.
For now, the site on Cole Street stands as another painful reminder of a preventable disaster—one where warnings were ignored, and lives were lost in the rubble of negligence.
