Survivors of a building collapse in the Idi Araba area of Mushin, Lagos, have recounted their narrow escape after the structure at 96 Ishaga Road fell on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at about 3:20 p.m.

The collapse, which occurred opposite the Idi Araba Central Mosque, saw four male adults rescued alive, one of whom is in critical condition. Tragically, one person was retrieved dead from the rubble.

Emergency responders, including the Lagos State Ambulance Service, attended to the rescued victims on-site before transferring them to the hospital for further treatment.

The Guardian learnt that traders had already paid for shops in the under-construction building, with one reportedly parting with N6 million. One family allegedly faced a demand of N1.5 million for an emergency medical operation for their injured relative, identified as Qudus.

Among the survivors was a pregnant woman who sustained scratches but escaped major injuries thanks to her husband, who acted quickly to remove blocks that had broken through their roof.

Olawale Williams, a bricklayer who survived the incident, described the moment: “I was sleeping upstairs when I heard cracking sounds. I jumped off the building, but people held me down because I didn’t understand what was happening. We were five people in the building. I was taken to the hospital due to shock and returned the next morning.”

Williams noted that bamboo poles were being removed from the site when the collapse occurred. He expressed gratitude for surviving, adding, “My friend and I were supposed to sleep on the first floor, but the noise from the removal of the bamboo kept us away.”

Another survivor, Ismaila, shared his disbelief when the name of the deceased was mentioned. “We doubted it at first because he had just gone to fetch water for ablution. We didn’t know when he returned to the site,” he said.

Ismaila added that the situation could have been worse had it been raining, as more people would have sought shelter under the building.

Eyewitnesses revealed that the building was a family house under reconstruction. A neighbour, Ustaz Abubakar, explained that the original developer had fallen ill after laying the foundation, leading to a second developer taking over. “Engineers passing by had warned that the building was bent, and shortly after, it collapsed,” he said.

Meanwhile, two phones belonging to the victims were reportedly stolen during the rescue operation.

Residents have called on the Lagos State Government to strengthen its oversight of building construction. Ibrahim Yahaya urged the government to assign officials to monitor ongoing projects, stating, “Someone from the government should be on the ground to monitor what these developers are doing.”

Another resident, Ajora Ibrahim, criticised developers for prioritising profit over safety. “They just want quick money and don’t use quality materials. The government must enforce stricter regulations and ensure developers belong to recognised associations,” she said.

The Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) has sealed off the collapse site. Efforts to obtain comments from agency officials were unsuccessful.