A building in the Sabo area of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, suddenly collapsed on Sunday morning, causing widespread panic among residents.
A local resident, Alaran, who is also a member of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service, recounted the event during an interview with PUNCH.
He described hearing a loud sound in the neighborhood as the building caved in.
Alaran noted that police and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps promptly responded to the distress call from the scene.
“The incident happened between 7:30 and 8:00 am this morning (Sunday). A loud sound was heard. The house is not inhabited by anyone, but some people usually hide there to smoke or gamble. Some people were trapped,” he explained.
The collapse sparked a lot of reactions and comments from people on Facebook.
Reacting, Doro Boss expressed his concern over the frequency of such incidents, saying, “Since last week till now, more than four buildings have collapsed. Nigeria, which way again?”
Also, Sanni Audu Kingsley highlighted the systemic issues leading to such disasters: “Building collapse has now become a normal thing in Nigeria due to lack of quality control and other sharp practices. It’s absurd and heart-aching.”
“Houses built on waterways and with inferior materials cannot stand the test of time. I said this in one of my comments on Punch page that we may have more of these kinds of incidents happening because we have failed to do the right thing. Agencies pursue the money bag rather than ensuring individuals adhere to required building standards.” Stanley Eluwah reacted.
Don Pascha also added,”When the people have been rendered to live in penury, everyone will find a means to cut costs so money will enter their pockets, even if it means using substandard materials for construction.”
In her comment, Esther Olu Ebube Okolie lamented the state of the country: “What is really happening in this country? God, please have mercy on us, and face those evil leaders who are making life miserable for people.”
“The level of disaster happening lately in this country is becoming worrisome. House owners are collecting money for rents and failing to renovate when and where necessary.” Kenneth Erhimu shared his worries about the increasing frequency of such disasters
Funmi Dosunmu expressed, “There’s hunger in the country, God have mercy and keep us safe from tragedy. Building collapses every day again.”
