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| The collapsed building at Highway Barracks, Police College, Ikeja, Lagos |
A police sergeant, who
lived in Highway Barracks, Police College, Ikeja, Lagos, and his visitor lost
their lives on Sunday after the toilet and the staircase of the building
collapsed.
PUNCH
Metro report continues:
The
policeman, identified simply as Danjuma, and his visitor, whose name had yet to
be ascertained, were about to have their bath around 4.30am when the structure
fell on them.
It
was gathered that the occupants of the barracks had been warned to vacate the
distressed two-storeyed building by the police authorities, but they declined
on the grounds that they did not have the means to relocate.
When
our correspondent arrived at the scene around 11.00am, residents were seen
salvaging their property as officials of the National Emergency Management
Agency and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency prepared to completely
demolish the building.
One
of the residents, Mrs. Jenifa Mattias, said she was woken up by the sound of
the collapse, adding that Danjuma moved into the barracks about five months
ago.
She
said, “He was a gentleman. He was transferred to Lagos recently and lived
alone. I don’t know whether the visitor was his friend or relative. But they
wanted to bathe when the toilet fell on them.
“We
have been told to pack out, but we refused to leave because we have nowhere to
go. But now that this has happened, I know God will make a way.”
An
eyewitness, Hussain Abam, said efforts to rescue the victims alive proved
abortive.
“It
took some time before we were able to break the slabs that covered them and
bring them out. The visitor was a civilian; he arrived here yesterday,” he
added.
A
tailor, Mikail Afolabi, lamented the bad state of the buildings in the barracks
and called on the government to renovate them.
He
said, “These structures are weak. I cried when I saw the corpses. It was very
unfortunate, especially on a day like this when people are celebrating.”
A
policeman, who lives in a building opposite the collapsed structure, blamed the
dilapidation of the buildings in the barracks on the police authorities.
The
cop, who gave his name simply as John, said, “Every month, ₦7,500 is deducted
from each policeman’s salary and now, we were told to leave on or before
Wednesday. Where do they want us to go? Where is the money they have been
deducting from our salaries? They did not renovate the barracks. We have no
place to go.”
The
Lagos State Commissioner of Police confirmed the death, Fatai Owoseni, saying
efforts had been made to renovate the barracks.
He
said, “The funds that are available to the government and the police are used
to upgrade the facilities from time to time. When an incident like this
happens, it calls for us to reassess and test the integrity of the buildings;
and from there we move on.
“It
is not possible to house every policeman in the barracks. Some policemen have
to live within the communities they are.”
The
NEMA spokesperson, South-West zone, Ibrahim Farinloye, stated that integrity
test would be conducted on all the buildings in the barracks.
The
LASEMA General Manager, Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu, said bodies of the victims had
been deposited in the Mainland Hospital’s morgue.
He
said, “The agency received a distress call about a collapsed building in
Highway Police Barracks opposite Area F, Ikeja. According to investigation
conducted by the agency’s officials at the scene, it was gathered that the
toilets and stairway of Wing D collapsed at about 4.00am.
“The agency’s officials, in collaboration with men of the Lagos State Fire Service, Nigeria Police (highway patrol) and NEMA, recovered the bodies of two dead adult males. We have commenced the demolition of the affected building.”
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