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The density of the building and its setback from the site violated the Lagos State Building Regulations.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The 21-story building that collapsed on Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State in November 2021 was caused by the negligence of agencies in charge of project approval and supervision, a coroner’s inquest has revealed.
The Coroner, Chief Magistrate O. A. Komolafe on Tuesday delivered the verdict in an inquest into the building collapse that killed many people on November 1, 2021.
The skyscraper, owned by Fourscore Heights Limited, trapped over 50 persons, including the firm’s Managing Director, Femi Osibona; his friend, a US-based Nigerian businessman, Wale Bob-Oseni; his personal assistant, Oyinye Enekwe, and clients.
Other deceased persons include a member of the National Youth Service Corps, identified only as Oyindamola; an aluminium fabricator, Kenneth Otu; and an engineer and pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Living Water.
According to the report submitted by a six-man tribunal set up by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the collapse of the building was a result of the erosion of professional ethics and due diligence.
The purpose of the inquest was to determine what caused the building at No. 44 Gerard Road, Ikoyi, to collapse.
Komolafe ruled that the density of the building and its setback from the site violated the Lagos State Building Regulations.
He said the project board, which should have boldly displayed sensitive and important information such as the names and addresses of the professionals who carried out the project, was purposefully withheld.
This act, he claims, demonstrates that the approving and supervising agencies did not sanction the offender, implying that they were compromised. He claimed that the structure’s failure was caused by design flaws.
Komolafe also claimed that there was a lack of quality assurance and poor project management.
As a result, he adopted the recommendation contained in the report on the matter by the Council for the Regulations of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN.
He urged the authorities in charge of putting the recommendations into action to do so.
