• BCPG faults lapses, recalls 2022 Onike collapse after Yaba tragedy
The atmosphere at 335, Borno Way, Yaba, Lagos State, shifted from grief to joy on Monday evening when two men were pulled out alive from the rubble of a collapsed four-storey building, nearly three days after the disaster.
The building, which collapsed at about 7:00 p.m. on Friday, September 12, 2025, had trapped several construction workers under its debris. Rescue workers, after four days of relentless effort, managed to save 10 lives, while four bodies were also recovered. The last two victims were found lifeless on Sunday, ending hopes for others believed to be alive.
Among those rescued against all odds were Anuoluwa and another artisan, who were discovered inside a soakaway pit beneath the debris on Monday, about 65 hours after being buried. Anuoluwa’s mother, who had fainted while waiting for what she feared would be the recovery of her son’s corpse, was overwhelmed when he emerged alive. Medics and sympathisers quickly attended to her, shielding her from questions in the emotionally charged moment.
The Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG), Yaba Cell, which monitored the operations, described the incident as “a terrible and painful way to end one’s mission in the world.”
In a statement issued by its coordinator, Bayo Ogunrinde, and General Secretary, Funmi Olaitan, the group drew parallels with an earlier collapse in the same area. On February 12, 2022, a four-storey building under construction at 16, Akanbi Street, Onike, near the University of Lagos, collapsed at the finishing stage, killing four construction workers. That building was meant to serve as a hostel for students.
Both incidents, according to the Guild, occurred just before completion, a factor that averted a higher death toll. They noted that in both cases, project boards with mandatory information about the developers and contractors went missing.
Unlike many collapses where developers vanish, the Yaba collapse took an unusual turn. The developer, identified as Tajudeen, popularly known as Aljemin, was inside the building at the time of the disaster. He survived and is currently under police protection at a hospital.
The Guild contrasted his case with that of Femi Osibona, the developer of the 21-storey building that collapsed on Gerald Road, Ikoyi, in 2021, who died in the incident. They stressed that developers who cut corners must learn that compromising standards carries fatal risks.
They also recalled that the developer of the Akanbi Street collapse, Gboyega Bello, had been arrested but mistakenly released by the police, and no official investigation was carried out before the land was forfeited to the government.
The Guild commended the combined efforts of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Lagos State Ambulance Service, and the police.
The agencies, it said, “were deprived of sleep, working round the clock” to save lives. However, it called for the introduction of more advanced rescue technology. “With improved equipment, those trapped could be reached more swiftly, and evidence needed for investigations better preserved. It was enervating as we monitored the prolonged rescue process using excavators, cutting machines, diggers and shovels,” the statement said.
The Guild pointed out that the collapse, which damaged a load-bearing column of the adjacent five-storey building at 333, Borno Way, highlighted critical lessons. Firstly, it underscored the importance of adequate setbacks or airspace between buildings. Secondly, it showed the need for neighbours to monitor nearby construction and alert LASBCA when regulations appear to be flouted.
The damaged building has since been shored up with acrow props. The Guild recommended that it be stabilised with concrete columns, with the results of non-destructive testing used to verify its structural soundness.
Speculation has emerged that the piling works recently undertaken at a neighbouring compound, 337A, Borno Way, may have triggered cracks in the collapsed structure. It was alleged that secret remedial works were carried out on compromised columns before the eventual collapse.
A stop-work notice issued by LASBCA on September 1, 2025, had already cited 337A for contravening building regulations, including inadequate airspace and construction beyond approved limits.
The Guild reiterated that stage certification by registered professionals was designed to prevent such tragedies. It urged that a full forensic investigation be conducted to establish the factual cause of the collapse and provide lessons to avert future disasters. Members of the BCPG extended condolences to the families of the deceased while celebrating the survival of those rescued.
