Lagos building collapse: survivors recount narrow escape, apprentice dies

Kenneth Nwabueze and Jeffery Okoro, survivors of a three-storey building collapse in Alakija, Oriade Local Council Development Area, Lagos, shared their experiences. Nwabueze, who had just left the building to deliver a job, received a call about the collapse within five minutes. He rushed back to find his secretary and an apprentice trapped. While his secretary was rescued, his apprentice died in the incident. Okoro, a shop owner opposite the collapsed building, also recounted his narrow escape. Both survivors expressed gratitude for being alive despite losing their businesses and lamented the loss of life, with nine people confirmed dead. They noted that there were visible cracks on the building's walls the week before the collapse, and the landlord had been informed but had not taken action, reportedly awaiting government approval for renovations. Nwabueze emphasized the lesson to prioritize life over wealth.