Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered a full investigation into the building collapse in Abuja that claimed four lives, while directing authorities to immediately seal off the premises.
Wike also revealed that an engineer connected to the collapsed structure had already been arrested, adding that the developer would also face arrest as part of the ongoing investigation.
The minister disclosed this on Monday after visiting the scene of the tragedy, describing the incident as painful and unacceptable.
According to him, the FCT Administration would constitute a panel to uncover the actual cause of the collapse and determine those responsible.
“From the report I got, we lost four people and some lives were saved. It’s very pathetic. Nobody is happy when you lose somebody,” Wike said.
“The Department of Development Control has sealed off the premises. We are going to set up a panel to really look at what happened.”
“One of the engineers has been arrested already. From there, we’ll get to the developer, and the developer will also be arrested,” he added.
Wike explained that the Department of Development Control would begin preliminary investigations while awaiting the findings of the panel.
The minister also warned property developers against frustrating officials of the Federal Capital Development Administration during inspections and monitoring of construction projects.
He accused some developers of resorting to blackmail whenever government agencies attempt to enforce compliance with building regulations.
“Sometimes when we come to a site like this, the press has not been kind to us. Instead of finding out why government is taking that decision, some people will go to blackmail government officials,” he stated.
Wike stressed that strict adherence to construction standards remains essential to preventing future building disasters in the FCT.
According to him, proper soil testing, quality materials and approved structural specifications must never be ignored during construction.
“In construction of buildings, we must know the quality. What materials are they using? Are they doing the soil test? What is the result of the soil test? Can it allow for two floors or three floors? All these are very key,” he said.
The minister maintained that protecting lives and property remains the government’s top responsibility, lamenting that the lives lost in the incident could never be recovered.
“How can you buy back these lives? They are gone. That is the responsibility of government: to protect life and property,” Wike added.
