The minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike has ordered the arrest of the owner of a two-storey building which collapsed in Abuja on Wednesday night.
The building which caved in around 11pm on Wednesday amid downpour led to the death of two persons, while 37 people were rescued and taken to various hospitals.
The building located at Lagos Crescent, Garki Village in the Garki District of the nation’s capital, was one of the first storey buildings in the area.
However, rescue operations were initially very slow over the night as there was no immediate access to an excavator and rescue efforts were purely manual.
While speaking at the scene of the incident, Wike who noted that original residents of the area were designated for resettlement, however wondered why for years, the FCT Administration could not carry out such resettlement.
His words: “It is unfortunate that we woke this morning to the very disturbing news of this building collapse. It is not what we contemplated.
“Let me thank the agencies particularly NEMA and FEMA that have supported us to rescue not less than 37 lives. It is unfortunate that we lost two lives.
“I will appeal to the Permanent Secretary to make sure that funds are raised to pay the hospital bills of those who were rescued so that we do not lose any more person, and this should be done immediately.
“Secondly, these are the things we have been saying, nobody knows whose turn it will be, therefore when government says it will take actions in areas we believe there are illegal developments or buildings that do not comply with the standard codes, it is not as if anybody has any personal vendetta but for me it is for us to do the right thing.
“I don’t know why it has taken so long that the FCTA has not resettled them and so we will take immediate action to see that the indigenes of these places are resettled and then the government has to plan out this place.”
The minister added that when government insists on building plan, it is not to suffer anybody but to make sure that everyone is protected.
According to him, Cities are planned to forestall this kind of occurrence. Imagine buildings without approval. I will ask that we must identify and arrest the owner of this property. It is very important.
Wiki assured that the government would take over the area and ensure that no further development is carried out there.