The Lagos State Government has arrested the developer of a collapsed building at No. 16 Akanbi Crescent, Onike, Yaba for breaking the government seal on the property and violating the stop-work order.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that three persons were confirmed dead and about four others including a security guard and construction workers were reportedly trapped under the ruins on Saturday after the building collapsed.

An official of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, who declined to give his name while speaking to journalists at the scene, said that the agency had on two occasions told the builders to stop work.

He said, “We had told them two times last year to stop work. I wonder why most Nigerians don’t listen to authority. Part of this building as we learnt then collapsed before and we told them to stop.”

But reacting on the collapsed building, the state’s Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Idris Salako, in a statement titled, ‘Onike Building Collapse: LASG Rescues Survivor, Arrests Developer’, confirmed the arrest.

Giving details on the tragedy, the commissioner said that the incident occurred around 3.30pm on Saturday, and that the building was under construction and at three floors, suspended slab before it collapsed.

Salako stated that preliminary findings indicated that the site had been sealed-off twice LABSCA in 2021 for non-compliance with Building Regulations after which the site was abandoned.

However, the developer later broke Government Seal, sneaked into the site and re-commenced construction without official authorisation.

“The Developer in charge of the site has since been arrested and handed over to the RRS Team, while rescue operation is ongoing,” the statement said.

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