Building collapses in Abuja, occupants escape unhurt

The building is the third to collapse in the “poorly constructed” estate in 2012.

A residential duplex collapsed in Abuja on Saturday, with no death or injuries to occupants.

The building, a semi-detached duplex housing two families, located at the Citec/Mbora estate, came down Saturday morning. A few minutes of vibration before the collapse allowed the occupants enough time to escape, residents of the estate told PREMIUM TIMES.

The building had been sighted with cracks long before its collapse and is the third building collapse in the estate in the last three months.

The estate was built by Citec International Estate Limited and sold for N50 million per duplex.

Residents of the estate said they expected the collapse.

“The buildings are too fragile, built with fake building materials,” Audu Oseni, a resident said.

He said residents had complained severally to the estate managers and the Federal Capital Development Authority about the inferiority and weakness of the buildings. Both authorities ignored the complaints.

The estate is located along the Jabi Airport road bypass in Abuja. The collapse highlights the poor quality of buildings in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city.

A contact person for the estate, who identified himself as Ayo, denied the building collapsed. He said the estate noticed the “problem,” on the wing that collapsed, and evacuated the occupants before bringing it down.

Officials of the city’s development control often shove aside their quality control functions for a tip from estate developers, looking away from inferior constructions, and risking the lives of occupants of such buildings.

This year, at least five buildings have collapsed in the city, killing at least four people.