A Lagos resident narrowly avoided tragedy on Saturday morning after a two-storey building on Oremeta Street, in the Ojodu Berger area of Lagos State, collapsed around 8 am. The building, which reportedly housed a popular local restaurant, came crashing down just minutes after some workers had arrived to begin the day’s activities.
Speaking at the scene, a resident named Chike shared how a last-minute decision kept him away from the doomed building.
“I live in Ojodu; this (the restaurant) is the place I usually go to eat. Last night, I wanted to go there to eat, but I didn’t feel comfortable about going, so I decided to buy some things to cook at home.
“That (cooking at home) also made me not go to the restaurant this morning. This morning, I was preparing to go to Berger to pick something when I heard that something happened at EqualRight, and by the time I got there, I realised that a lot of people had been injured,” he said.
The restaurant, known to attract many customers daily, was especially busy during football matches, according to locals.
“In a day, they get up to 100 customers. Sometimes, when a football match is on, you can find up to 70 people gathered there. We feel bad about this incident.
“As I speak with you, some people are in the building. We have yet to confirm whether they are alive, but we pray they are alive, by the Grace of God,” Chike added.
Emergency services were quickly dispatched to the area, and by the time of reporting, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) confirmed that five people had been rescued. However, concerns remain that more individuals could still be trapped beneath the rubble.
The site became tense as a crowd gathered, making it difficult for rescue operations to continue smoothly. Two bulldozers were seen attempting to gain access to the debris, while police officers on the ground struggled to control restless onlookers. Some youths refused to leave the area despite repeated warnings.
There are also questions surrounding the condition of the structure before the incident. Chike noted the building was old and raised suspicions about possible construction work that might have been ongoing.
“The building was old, but I don’t know whether they were trying to build another structure there,” he said.
