The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed the collapse of a three-storey building under construction at No. 333 Borno Street, Alagomeji, Yaba, Lagos State, on Friday, 12 September 2025, at approximately 8:30 p.m.
According to NEMA’s official communication issued via its verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday, several individuals were trapped under the rubble. Eyewitness accounts varied, placing the number of persons initially trapped between five and six. To date, four adult male victims have been successfully extricated and conveyed to a medical facility for treatment.
Emergency response teams comprising NEMA, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, and allied responders promptly mobilised to the scene. Search-and-rescue operations are ongoing, with the precise number of persons still unaccounted for yet to be determined. The site has since been cordoned off to secure the perimeter and facilitate safe recovery operations.
Authorities have underscored that all efforts will continue through the night to preserve life and recover any remaining victims.
This incident highlights a recurring challenge in Lagos State and across Nigeria, where building collapses occur with alarming frequency. Such failures have been repeatedly linked to non-compliance with statutory building codes, the use of substandard construction materials, and lapses in regulatory enforcement.
Civil society data and government records indicate that dozens of similar incidents occur annually, often resulting in fatalities, serious bodily harm, and displacement of residents. Lagos State authorities have on multiple occasions cautioned developers against unsafe practices, sealing several non-compliant structures in the past pursuant to their regulatory mandate.
A formal investigation is expected to be instituted to determine proximate and remote causes of the collapse, assess potential liability of contractors, developers, and supervising professionals, and evaluate whether relevant statutory obligations under the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning Law and the National Building Code were observed.#newsafro_
