By Michael Ofulue &
Ayodele Popoola

|

An aged woman has reportedly died while her grandson was injured at the early hours of Tuesday when a storey building collapsed at Fanibi in Akure.
The Hope Metro gathered that the 90-year-old deceased and her injured grandchild were sleeping in their one-room apartment when the building suddenly collapsed around 3 am.
Some of the tenants in the house were, however lucky as they were rescued unhurt from the collapsed building.
When The Hope Metro visited the scene, friends and family members were seen at the front of the house lamenting the tragedy.
Tenants and neighbours who spoke with our correspondent said that one of the beneficiaries of the inherited property, was trying to add another building to the existing seventy years old structure without any structural engineering backup.
The wall of the renovated one-room close to the deceased’s room was said to have suddenly collapsed and fell on the woman while asleep and she died instantly.
The people said that might have led to the sudden collapse of the building .
One of the tenants of the collapsed building, Abimbola Oke said the woman died on the spot as the wall suddenly fell on her, adding that her grand child sustained a serious injury and has been taken to the hospital for treatment. Other six people trapped in the collapsed building were able to be rescued uninjured.
It was learnt that for over two hours a distress call was put across to the State Fire Service, there was no response, but the neighbors came to the rescue.
However, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development has ordered that the remaining part of the collapsed building be sealed while a single soul would not be allowed to remain there .
It has also instructed the law enforcement agencies to see that the directive is being enforced immediately.
Speaking with The Hope Metro at the scene, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Bayo Philips, lamented the occurrence for the fact that a life was lost, saying it is quite unfortunate.
He said, “The government cannot fold its arms for the citizens of the state to be in a danger like this even if it’s self-inflicted. This build has been sealed’
The Permanent Secretary later charged many people in town living in old buildings where the landlords are not showing enough concern, to contact them in the ministry.
“Government will not allow his citizens to be in palpable danger even though it’s self-inflicted. It is not going to be tolerated under Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
“As we speak, the Governor has directed the Ministry to carry out a survey and the physical audit of the buildings in town as if he had the premonition that this would happen. And we are already on the exercise.”
Contacted, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Fanibi, CSP Femi Joseph confirmed the death of an aged woman, saying a boy also sustained injuries.
He said other four occupants of the collapsed building survived and are hale and hearty.
Joseph said the police will invite the owner of the building for questioning, adding that his men were already there to ensure hoodlums do not cart away properties of the victims.
He, therefore advised house owners to cultivate the habit of taking adequate care of their buildings in the overall interest of their tenants.