Residents Blame Negligence as Collapsed Lagos Building Showed Warning Signs
Residents of Cole Street, Oyingbo, say warnings about the collapsed two-storey building were ignored before the tragedy that left one dead and 26 injured.
Residents of Cole Street, Oyingbo, have accused the occupants of the recently collapsed two-storey building of ignoring repeated warnings that the structure was in distress.
The incident, which occurred around 1 a.m. on Monday, claimed one life, injured at least 26 people, and destroyed several businesses, sparking renewed concern over Lagos’ recurring building collapse crisis.
Emergency responders, including officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Red Cross, and the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, were at the scene shortly after the collapse to carry out rescue operations.
Witnesses told reporters that the building had shown visible cracks and structural weaknesses weeks before the tragedy. Despite being issued evacuation notices, many residents reportedly stayed back, hoping the structure would hold.
“The government had been warning us to move out because the building was in distress, but the landlord wasn’t cooperating,” said Mrs. Adaeze, a shop owner whose goods worth millions of naira were destroyed.
“I was called in the middle of the night that the building had collapsed. Everything I owned is trapped under the rubble.”
Another resident, Habeeb Jamiu, who was among the first to arrive at the scene, recounted how the collapse happened after a heavy midnight rainfall.
“When we got there, people were shouting for help under the debris. We started rescuing them before emergency teams arrived,” he said.
“It was obvious the building was weak — the cracks were there for everyone to see.”
A third witness, Hakeem Ibrahim, confirmed that the structure had been visibly unsafe for months and that many residents ignored repeated distress warnings.
“You could tell the house was in danger of collapsing. Some people had even stopped passing close to it because of fear,” he said.
“Sadly, those still living there paid the price of negligence.”
At the time of reporting, 26 survivors had been rescued and taken to nearby hospitals, while one fatality was confirmed by emergency officials.
Rescue teams said efforts were ongoing to ensure no one remained trapped beneath the debris.
In a situation update, Margaret Adeseye, Controller-General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, confirmed that the collapsed structure had previously been marked as unsafe.
“It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which had been marked in distress before collapsing on the occupants,” she said.
Lagos State has recorded multiple building collapse incidents in 2025 alone, raising questions about enforcement and public compliance.
On September 25, six people were rescued after a similar collapse on Modupeola Street, Mangoro, while two workers were pulled out alive from another site in Ebute Metta earlier that month.
Urban analysts say the recurring tragedies highlight deep gaps in enforcement of building standards, landlord accountability, and tenant safety awareness — issues that continue to endanger lives in Nigeria’s most populous city.
For residents of Cole Street, the Oyingbo collapse is yet another painful reminder of how ignored warnings and weak compliance can lead to preventable loss.
As investigations continue, Lagosians are calling for stricter enforcement, stiffer penalties for negligent property owners, and a citywide review of structurally compromised buildings to prevent future tragedies.
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Lagos building collapse, Oyingbo, Margaret Adeseye, Lagos Fire Service, Lagos State Building Control Agency, building safety, urban disaster, Nigeria infrastructure, Lagos emergency response, structural failure
