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Wike Orders Arrest Of Owner Of Abuja Collapsed Building, To Resettle Residents

Published

2 years ago

August 24, 2023

Federal Capital Territory FCT minister, Nyesom Wike has ordered the immediate identification and arrest of the owner of a two-storey building which collapsed in Abuja on Wednesday night.

The building had at least 39 residents, with two certified dead, and 37 rescued and taken to various hospitals.

Recall that the building, located at Lagos Crescent, Garki Village in the Garki District of the nation’s capital, was one of the first storey buildings in the area.

While it caved it caved in around 11pm on Wednesday amid heavy downpour, rescue operations were initially very slow over the night as there was no immediate access to an excavator and rescue efforts were purely manual.

The collapsed building
Speaking at the scene of the incident, Wike who noted that original residents of the area were designated for resettlement, however wondered why foe years, the FCT Administration could not carry out such resettlement.

While he applauded the rescue efforts, Wike said; “It is unfortunate that we woke this morning to the very disturbing news of this building collapse. It is not what we contemplated. Let me thank the agencies particularly NEMA and FEMA that have supported us to rescue not less than 37 lives. It is unfortunate that we lost two lives. I will appeal to the Permanent Secretary to make sure that funds are raised to pay the hospital bills of those who were rescued so that we do not lose any more person, and this should be done immediately.

“Secondly, these are the things we have been saying, nobody knows whose turn it will be, therefore when government says it will take actions in areas we believe there are illegal developments or buildings that do not comply with the standard codes, it is not as if anybody has any personal vendetta but for me it is for us to do the right thing.

“I don’t know why it has taken long that the FCTA has not resettled them and so we will take immediate action to see that the indigenes of these place are resettled and then government has to plan out this place.

“When government says take building plan, it is not to suffer anybody but to make sure that everyone is protected. Cities are planned to forestall this kind of occurrences. Imagine buildings without approval. I will ask that we must identify and arrest the owner of this property. It is very important.

“Government will, of course, take over this area and make sure no further development is carried out here. I want all the stakeholders here to please work with government in the interest of everybody. No one has come here to say I like A, I don’t like B. I know sometimes government’s decisions may not be too comfortable with the people, but in the long run, it is in the interest of the people. Now we are all gathered here and none of us is happy we are here. These are the things we are trying to forestall. Again I sympathize with those who lost dear lives, while government will pick up the bills of all those in the hospital. We will also support the rescue efforts and ensure that they get to the last level and rescue everyone still trapped in the rubble”.

On his part, Director General of FCT Emergency Management Agency FEMA, Dr Abbas Idriss said 37 persons were rescued at the scene of the collapsed structure.

He said the victims were evacuated to various medical facilities in Abuja.

“Thirty Seven persons have so far been rescued and evacuated to hospital, others reportedly still trapped. Rescue team and others are on ground. Rescue operations on but slowly due to ongoing rain”. They are making frantic efforts at getting an excavator to remove people from the rubble”, he added.

The DG commended the efforts of all stakeholders working hard manually to rescue trapped persons, including members of the community.

It was gathered that the victims were taken to various hospitals including the National Hospital, Asokoro, Nyanya, and Garki District Hospitals, Alliance hospital and Zenith hospital.

Also speaking, Director, Department of Development Control, Mukhtar Galadima, explained that the building had no planning approval because the area is meant for resettlement.

“The building is located within the Garki indigenous settlement. The building had two suspended floors, one used for commercial activities while the other floors were used as residential accommodation. The building caved in yesterday (Wednesday) and 37 persons were rescued

“The status of the place is that it is not a planned area so the development had no planning approval. In fact, the area is meant for resettlement from here to Apo resettlement town”

News

Immigration Officer Gets N5m For Arresting Fleeing Ritualist

Published

10 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

An immigration officer, Ugochukwu Orji, who arrested a fleeing Enugu State-based native doctor accused of killing and kidnapping people for rituals, has been rewarded with N5 million for his efforts by an industrialist, Ebuka Onunkwo.

Onunkwo, who is also a senatorial aspirant for the Anambra South senatorial by-election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, hosted the immigration officer at his residence in Ihembosi, Ekwusigo Local Government Area of Anambra State, according to a press statement released by his media team on Tuesday.

Orji was at his duty post along the Seme Border area last month when the fleeing native doctor, popularly known as “Ichie Billion” attempted to use a motorcycle to cross over to the Benin Republic from Nigeria at Seme Border, but having seen his face on the internet, he quickly intercepted him.

Recall that “Ichie Billion”, who hails from Umuojor village in the Isiagu Community of Enugu State, had been on the run after being declared wanted by the Nigerian Police Force in connection with the kidnapping of a 13-year-old girl and alleged multiple ritual killings.

The native doctor was thereafter intercepted by the Nigerian Immigration Service and subsequently handed over to the Lagos State Police Command following his arrest at the border by the immigration officers.

Onunkwo, an industrialist, while presenting a cheque of ₦5 million to the immigration officer at his residence, said the gesture was part of his company’s Corporate Social Responsibility and encouragement for moral renaissance in the society.

News

Tariff Hikes Won’t Solve Nigeria’s Power Crisis, Expert Tells Tinubu

Published

10 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

Attempts by the current administration to rely on increased electricity tariffs to resolve Nigeria’s chronic power supply issues are unlikely to succeed, according to energy expert Nick Agu.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Tuesday, Agu argued for a fundamental restructuring of the power sector, prioritising infrastructure over tariff hikes.

Responding to the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu’s optimism and recent celebration of Nigeria reaching a new peak generation of over 5,000 megawatts, Agu acknowledged the incremental increase as “a good thing, is good news.”

However, he quickly added, “But should we celebrate? The answer is probably not.”

Agu underscored Nigeria’s severe “energy poverty” by drawing comparisons with other nations.

He noted that while Nigeria, with over 200 million people, struggles with around 5,000 megawatts, South Africa (65 million people) boasts 55,000 megawatts, Brazil (200 million people) supplies 150,000 megawatts, and even Qatar (3 million people) provides 8,000 megawatts.

“So, you can see that three million people are enjoying more electricity than Nigeria, which has 200 million people,” he highlighted.

Agu underscored Nigeria’s severe “energy poverty” by drawing comparisons with other nations.

“So, you can see that three million people are enjoying more electricity than Nigeria, which has 200 million people,” he highlighted.

News

From 158 To 351: Lagos Teen Excels In UTME After Initial Glitch

Published

11 hours ago

June 10, 2025

Editor

A 16-year-old student, Oyindamola Apampa, has achieved a remarkable aggregate score of 351 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, with 65 in English Language, 98 in Mathematics, 98 in Physics, and 90 in Chemistry.

Apampa, a student of Lagoon Secondary School in Lagos, described the feat as the result of determination, strategic preparation, and divine favour.

A statement on Tuesday revealed that it was her second attempt at the UTME, explaining that her initial score of 158 was later invalidated due to technical issues experienced at her exam centre.

She said, “In my first UTME attempt, I scored 158. However, the results were widely criticised and later acknowledged by the authorities as inaccurate due to technical glitches affecting several examination centres, including mine.

“Consequently, the examination body authorised a resit to address these irregularities. In the resit, I achieved a score of 351.”

She added that her parents played a crucial role in supporting her academic journey by fostering a learning-friendly environment at home.

“My parents made our home a positive place for studying. We have a full library in the family living room, in addition to a separate multimedia study room where the whole family often gets together to talk about different topics and help each other learn,” she shared.

Apampa also credited a learning centre in Lekki, Lagos, for providing her with additional academic support through UTME preparation classes and frequent mock examinations.

“The frequent mock exams at our learning centre were a great help in my preparation for UTME,” she said.

In his reaction to the learning centre head, Osayi Izedonmwen, stellar 98 per cent pass rate in the 2025 UTME, attributed the achievement to its hybrid learning approach.

“At Teesas, we are fully IT-equipped to seamlessly support both online and physical learning within a convenient and friendly environment. This has played a key role in helping our students excel,” Izedonmwen stated.

Apampa is no stranger to academic excellence. She was placed on her school’s Honours list after securing 10 As and one B in her Junior WAEC.

She has also represented her school in international competitions, such as the Conrad Challenge, where her team reached the final stage and earned a special mention.