Coroner’s Inquest Indicts Government Agencies of Complicity Over Ikoyi Building Collapse

A Lagos State Coroner Inquest set up to reveal why a 21-storey building collapsed in Gerard Road, Ikoyi, revealed that the building collapsed due to negligence by agencies responsible for approval and supervision of the building project.

The Coroner, Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe, made this pronouncement while revealing the outcome of the Inquest.

On 1st of November 2021, a high-rise block of luxury flats under construction in the neighbourhood of Ikoyi in Lagos, Nigeria, collapsed. At least 42 people died.

Magistrate Komolafe held that the building’s density and setback on the site showed gross violation of the Lagos State Building Regulations.

He held that the project board which should have boldly shown the sensitive and important information, including the names and addresses of the professionals who carried out the project, was deliberately not provided.

According to him, this act shows that the approving and supervising agencies did not sanction the offender, suggesting that they were compromised.

The agencies saddle with the responsibilities of ensuring quality building structure in the state are, Lagos State Building Control Agency, and Lagos State Material Testing Laboratory.

He said that the structure failure was due to design errors.

Magistrate Komolafe also said that there was a lack of quality assurance/control and poor management of the project.

He, therefore, adopted the recommendation contained in the Council for the Regulations of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Report on the matter.

He urged the authorities concerned with the implementation of the recommendations to act accordingly.

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