A multi-storey building under construction on Oremeta Street in the Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos State collapsed on Saturday morning, trapping an unknown number of people beneath the rubble. The structure, which housed Equal Rights restaurant on its ground floor, caved in around 8 am.

According to eyewitnesses, the building had shown visible signs of structural weakness. A regular patron of the restaurant said, “Many times, I had seen water drip from the decking of the building even when it was not raining. People raised the alarm when they started putting a third structure on the building, but nothing was done.”

Emergency responders are working to clear the debris and rescue those trapped. Initially, five people were rescued, but the latest update reports that nine people have been rescued, and one person has been confirmed dead. A car parked inside the premises, along with its owner and his son, are believed to be trapped.

Damilola Oke-Osanyitolu, Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), assured journalists that emergency responders are committed to reaching the deepest part of the site. “We will get to ground zero to search for other victims still buried under the rubble,” he said. The rescue efforts are ongoing, with LASEMA and other agencies working to locate and rescue those trapped.