Occupants Ignored Quit Notice Before Lagos Island Building Collapse – LASEMA Reveals

A source from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has disclosed that residents of the collapsed building on Adeniji Adele Road in the Isale Eko area of Lagos Island had previously been served a quit notice, which they failed to heed.

Recall that the building collapsed in the early hours of Thursday, leaving several occupants injured and prompting an emergency response from agencies including the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, the Nigeria Police Force, and other rescue units.

According to the LASEMA official, who requested anonymity, the structure had long been identified as distressed and marked for demolition by the Lagos State Building Control Agency, LASBCA, prior to its eventual collapse.

“The building had been defused and marked by LASBCA a while back. It was clearly in a dangerous state. LASEMA responded promptly this morning after the incident,” the source stated.

“Our investigation shows that quit notices were served to the occupants, but they refused to vacate the premises,” the official added.

Another agency source confirmed that no individuals remained trapped beneath the debris, although the ongoing excavation was being conducted manually due to the density and proximity of surrounding structures.

“Given the compact nature of buildings on Lagos Island, bringing in heavy equipment has been difficult. For now, we’re using manual methods, but fortunately, no one is currently trapped,” the source said.