Soji Ajibola, Ibadan
A 3-storey building that houses a pentecostal church, (name withheld) a renowned pharmaceutical store, supermarket and other business outlets at Adabor junction, Ashi Bodija in Ibadan North local government area collapsed on Sunday midnight.
However, no life was lost except goods and wares worth millions of naira that were trapped in the rubbles.
Similar incident occured in the area barely two months ago when an uncompleted five floors hotel building located at Awosika avenue caved in.
The Sunday midnight incident has created fear in the minds of the residents and shop owners in the area, noting the magnitude of the losses and the danger it portends on the lives of the people
An eyewitness account disclosed that the occupants of the building were not around when the incident occured except the security guard.
He stated the deafening noise that resulted from the collapsed building drew the attention of the passersby who scampered for safety.
In her own account, the owner of one of the stores who identified herself as Sade Aderibigbe said, “We suddenly heard a loud noise in the midnight, we were scared because we thought it was armed robbers.
“We rushed out to the scene, and on getting there, we saw that the building had collapsed.”
Also, Tunde Abulesowo said the land on which the building was built was formerly a cemetrary before it was sold.
“When the land was sold, all the corpses in the cemetery were exhumed before the building was erected, the building was built during the administration of Late Chief Adebayo Alao Akala.
“The building has been giving sign of cracking before it later came down, resulting in the destruction of goods valued at millions of naira.
“We are making efforts to savage the goods and make sure hoodlums dont have access to they so to cart them
Away.
“The officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, (NEMA), Oyo State Fire Service Agency, the Police and men of the Western Security Network Agency code named Amotekun have beefed up security around the place.
“Also, efforts are been intensified to clear the rubbles in order to evacuate trapped commodities.”