The FCT Emergency Management Department (FEMD) has reported the recovery of seven dead bodies of iron scavengers who were trapped when a portion of a demolished building collapsed in Sabon Lugbe, a suburb of Abuja. The incident occurred as a group of over 500 scavengers invaded the site, attempting to salvage iron rods from the demolished structure.
Abdulrahman Mohammed, the Director of FEMD, shared the details with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday. He confirmed that two additional victims are currently receiving medical attention at the Federal Medical Centre.
The tragic event unfolded when the scavengers began dismantling the remnants of the demolished building, causing the remaining slab to fall. Mohammed clarified that the building was among those illegally erected and had been demolished by the FCT Department of Development Control just days prior, on Thursday.
Contrary to some media reports suggesting a multi-storey building had collapsed with over 40 individuals trapped, Mohammed asserted that these claims were unfounded. “Nobody is living in the building as claimed by reports,” he stated, adding that the incident involved only the scavengers.
He expressed disappointment over the continued activities of the scavengers at the site, despite the tragic outcome. “Right now, some of them are still up there scavenging iron rods,” he noted. Authorities are taking steps to ensure their removal, with plans for the Development Control team to return on Monday to oversee the complete demolition of the remaining structures.
A police officer at the scene confirmed that the scavengers entered the site after the demolition was completed. Eyewitness Mr. Aliyu Musa recounted that warnings had been issued to the scavengers not to enter the building, but they ignored them. “I know one of the deceased; we warned him, but he did not listen. He climbed the slab and started hitting the iron when it suddenly fell, and he died,” he lamented.
The tragic incident has raised concerns about safety regulations and the need for stricter enforcement to prevent such occurrences in the future.