Ikoyi Building Collapse: Lagos To Demolish Nearby High-rise Structures, Prosecute Firm

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The remaining two structures being simultaneously constructed close to the 21-storey building that collapsed on Gerrard Road, Ikoyi in Lagos, in November 2021, will be demolished.

This is because the buildings failed structural integrity tests, a White Paper on the incident said. The White Paper also said the remaining high-rise buildings will be pulled down through controlled demolition.

The firm developing the building that collapsed, Fourscore Homes Limited, will face criminal prosecution, the White Paper on the incident said.

On November 1, the 21-storey building collapsed, killing about 50 persons, including the developer, Femi Osibona, while some people were rescued.

The White Paper, prepared by the Lagos State government following a report of a probe pane, also recommended that all government officials involved in granting approval to the developer in 2019 should face an administrative disciplinary panel.

Mr Toyin Ayinde, the chairman of the panel who submitted the report on January 5, 2022, blamed disregard for due diligence and erosion of professional ethics for the collapse.

The state government accepted 26 out of the 28 recommendations contained in the report.

The accepted 26 recommendations bordered on individuals and institutions – both private and public.

The panel relied on general assessment; coordinated activities of the consultants who conducted tests on the site and reviewed documents from relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), interviews, and others to arrive at their recommendations.

A new committee, which reviewed the tribunal’s 28 recommendations, was chaired by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Tayo Bamgbose-Martins.