The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) says it recovered seven dead bodies of iron scavengers who invaded the site of a demolished building in Sabon Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja.
Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed, Director of the department, who disclosed this at the site on Sunday, added that two other victims were receiving medical attention at the Federal Medical Centre.
According to him, the activities of over 500 iron scavengers who invaded the demolished building, pulling down and carting away iron rods, triggered the remains of demolished slab to fall on them.
Mohammed, who said rescue operations had been completed at the site, debunked report in some sections of the media that a multi-storey building collapsed in the suburb on Saturday with more than 40 trapped under the rubble.
He said the building was among the illegally erected uncompleted structures, demolished by the FCT Department of Development Control on Thursday.
“The scavengers invaded the site in a bid to get iron rods when the remaining part of the demolished structure caved in. Nobody is living in the building as claimed by reports.
“We were here last night and we are here today again. The Chairman of Miyetti Allah in the Abuja municipal was here with us and he confirmed that they lost five of their members in the incidence. As you can see, nobody is fighting here as claimed by some people,” he said
Mohammed expressed his disappointment at the activities of the scavengers, who were still ravaging other demolished building in-spite of the tragic incidence
“Right now as we speak, some of them are still up there scavenging iron rod, they have been asked to leave but they have refused to listen. We are going to ensure that they leave the site. By Monday, the Development Control, will come around to ensure that the remaining buildings are brought down completely,’ he said
A Police Officer at the site, told NAN that the scavengers invaded the site after the Development Control Dept. had completed the demolition exercise. The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity said the media report on collapsed multi-storey building trapping over 40 people was fake.
An eye witness, Mr Aliyu Musa, said the iron scavengers were warned not to go into the building, but they refused to listen.
“I know one of the deceased, we warned him but he did not listen.He climbed the slab and started hitting the iron when it suddenly fell, and he died,” he said.
FCT dev’t control refutes Sabon Lugbe building collapse report
Meanwhile, the Federal Capital Territory Department of Development Control has refuted report in some media platforms that a multi-storey building collapsed in Sabon Lugbe on Saturday with more than 40 trapped under the rubble.
The Director of the department, Mr Mukhtar Galadima, told newsmen in Abuja on Sunday that the report was “simply propaganda”.
Galadima explained that the building in question was part of the illegally erected uncompleted buildings by land grabbers that were currently being demolished in the area.
He said that the building was demolished on Thursday, adding that the site attracted a mass influx of more than 500 scavengers, pulling down and carting away the remains of iron rods.
According to him, the activities of the scavengers triggered the remains of a demolished slab of the building to fall on them.
The department had on October 17, begun the demolition of illegal buildings on lands that were illegally acquired by land grabbers in Sabon Lugbe. A total of 50 duplexes and bungalows were being demolished to ensure total recovery of the land.
Galadima, who led the exercise, had explained that the structures were illegally erected by land grabbers without approval of appropriate authorities.
He explained that the illegal construction in the southwest area of Sabon Lugbe was part of Phase 5 District of the Federal Capital City (FCC).
He said that the department had warned that it would bounce on land grabbers in the area and advised people against buying any property without due diligence to ensure its legality.
The FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, who ordered the demolition, expressed dismay that the investors moved into the site and commenced development without relevant approvals.
The minister insisted that all land must be recovered from the grabbers.
Meanwhile, a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in FCT, SP Josephine Adeh, said a total of five people were successfully rescued from the debris, adding that there were no reported fatalities.
“In light of this incident, we urge the public to respect the boundaries of demolished structures and construction sites, to prevent similar occurrences in the future,” Adeh said in the statement.