A three-storey building collapsed in Mushin after the downpour on
Tuesday. Some of the survivors recount their ordeal and seek help.
"I WAS feeding my daughter, Ayomide, rice. It was raining. Suddenly
came heavy thunder, I heard a strange noise at the backyard. I thought
our neighbours were fighting again. Just then, the house came down —-
within three seconds … a heavy block hit my baby on the head. Blood
started gushing out of Ayomide's forehead, my two legs were trapped.
My baby cried for a few seconds then Ayomide went silent, and her eyes
closed…"
So recounted Emmanuella Francis, a survivor of the three-storey
building that collapsed on No 353, Agege Motor Road, Mushin, Lagos on
Tuesday. She spoke as she lay critically ill at Calvary Hospital,
Sliver Street, Mushin.
Ayomide, her one-year-old daughter was the only fatality.
Other survivors are scattered all over the neighbourhood with their
children and relations. One of the survivors, Tina Duru sat on a sofa
in the corridor of a neigbouring house. Her son, Onyedika was crying
and she tried to pacify him with a suckle. But the boy refused his
mothers' chest. It seemedall he wanted was a placeto lie down and
sleep.
His elder brother, two-year-old Chibuzor, is in the hospital,
receiving treatment for the bruiseshe sustained in the collapsed
building.
Tina had gone to the church with Onyedika when the building collapsed.
They packed into the house two months ago. Her husband, Uchenna, a
trader had earlier paid anagent who disappeared with the money. "Our
landlord asked us to pay another money. We paid another rent last
month for one year," she said.
The location of the collapsed building was a major challenge for the
Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other rescue
agencies in the state. It is difficult to access, sandwiched as it is,
between three other defective buildings marked for demolition.
Another of the survivors, Justina Adikuru, could only think of how to
get her documents out of therubbles.
"Since yesterday (Tuesday) we have been expecting them to do something
for us to get our property out of the debris. My certificate and other
documents trapped there are very important to me. My money, N11,800 is
also inthe rubbles," she lamented, adding that her siblings and
parents are squatting with friends and relations.
Adikuru received the distress call not quite long after the building collapsed.
"I had to rush down to the house. My elder sister, Emmanuella was
badly injured. She is at Calvary Hospital. Her leg isbroken and she
lost her daughter, Ayomide," she said. She recalled that hersister
called her from the hospital asking about thecondition of her baby. "I
lied to her that her baby is fine," she said.
Another victim, Taiye Tunde, a widow from Ondo State was also rendered
homeless. "My husband is dead. I have been managing with my four
children in one of my relations' house," she said.
Nojeem Bello, a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers
(NURTW), Yaba disclosed that he was called around 3 O'clock on Tuesday
that the buildinghad collapsed. "When wegot here, my friend told me
that they were able torescue my sister-in-law and her baby." he said.
Bello, has been living in the collapsed building forthe past eight
years. "Thehouse is owned by the late Baba Jebba. The house is over
50-year-old. If the tenants had not been maintaining thehouse with
their money, it would have collapsed long time ago," he said.
Sola Odumosu regretted that her sister had just renewed her house
rent. "She paid N2,500 per month," she said
Another distraught victim, Bola Saheed, a caterer, recalled how oneof
her children, Saki called her that she shouldcome back home after the
house collapsed. "By the time I came home there was nothing to salvage
from the rubbles.When I first came here, it was N1,000 per room, the
house rent was later increased to N1,500 before I was given a quit
notice six months ago bythe landlord," she revealed.
Unfortunately for her, theN50,000 she kept in the house to look for
another accommodation is now under the rubbles. "Let the government
help us. We have no place to go. I was living in the house with my
daughter, Saki. I don't know where I will sleep today (Wednesday),"
she said.
Bimpe Bello said the house was too old and the owner had not been
taking care of the house.
Three other buildings in the neighbourhood owned by the same person
are now to be demolished. The residents have been given quit notices.
One ofthe victims, Blessing Okafor (from Imo State), has pitched her
tent (with her baby) in front of the house since the incident: "Where
do theywant us to go? We knew that there was danger ahead. My husband,
Sunday complained and the landlord's son said 'no problem'."
"To get a house now is a lot of money. If I go to the village now
there is no money for me to feed.I prefer to manage in Lagos.
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