Government vows prosecution, wider safety checks after building tragedy leaves students feared trapped……
The Anambra State Government has launched an investigation into the collapse of a private student hostel near the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, as rescue teams continue searching for occupants feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The collapse, which occurred late Sunday night at the Elite Five Star Lodge near Tonimas Filling Station in the Oko Polytechnic community, has so far claimed at least two lives, while some occupants remain unaccounted for.
The state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Chijioke Ojukwu, disclosed on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief that an investigative panel had been constituted to determine the exact cause of the disaster.
Ojukwu said the panel comprises key professionals from the building sector, including representatives of engineering, architecture, building, and town planning bodies, as well as officials from the Ministry of Physical Planning and the Anambra State Materials Testing Laboratory.
According to him, the committee’s main objective is to establish the root cause of the collapse and prevent unverified claims about what led to the incident.
“The core of their mandate will be to investigate the root cause of the collapse of the building so we wouldn’t be speculating,” he said.
The commissioner revealed that the investigation would not be limited to the collapsed hostel, as the government has received reports from residents about other structures in the area suspected to have similar safety concerns.
“Since the incident, members of the public have been sending in actionable intelligence pointing to other buildings which they suspect may suffer the same defect,” Ojukwu said.
He added that the government would expand its assessment to buildings around the collapsed structure and other locations identified through public reports.
Ojukwu also warned that anyone found responsible for the collapse would face legal consequences, adding that the state government may recommend the revocation of land hosting buildings that collapse due to negligence.
“We will also be prosecuting anybody indicted as having taken part in this unfortunate incident,” he said.
The commissioner said such action would serve as a warning that violations of building regulations and negligence in construction would no longer be tolerated in the state.
Ojukwu further alleged that preliminary investigations suggested the hostel’s management was aware of structural problems before the collapse but failed to evacuate occupants.
“We understand from our preliminary investigations that the building had some structural defects to the knowledge of the management, but unfortunately the management placed pecuniary interest above the safety of the occupants,” he said.
He alleged that rather than notify authorities and remove residents from the building, the management continued accommodating tenants and collecting rent.
The commissioner said the state government would now conduct structural integrity tests on buildings within the area, noting that any structure found to be unsafe would be demolished.
He confirmed that two bodies had been recovered from the debris but said authorities were still uncertain about the number of people trapped, as not all occupants of the hostel had been accounted for.
Ojukwu also disclosed that the identity of the building owner had not yet been confirmed, as occupants told investigators they had only interacted with the hostel management.
He said attempts to contact the management after the collapse had failed, forcing the government to involve security agencies.
“We have forwarded details of their contacts to the police authorities,” he said.
The commissioner added that the state government was working with security agencies to locate those responsible and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought before the law.
Emergency operations at the site are being carried out by personnel from the Anambra State Police Command, the Anambra State Fire Service, the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), and other relevant agencies as rescue efforts continue.
