By Prevail Inegbenose
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has confirmed the arrest of an engineer in connection with the recent building collapse in Abuja that claimed four lives.
Wike disclosed this on Monday during an inspection tour of ongoing road projects across the Federal Capital Territory, describing the incident as “very pathetic” and assuring residents that those responsible would face justice.
According to the Minister, the collapsed building site has been sealed off while the government commences a full investigation into the tragedy.
“From the report I got, we lost four persons, and some lives were saved. Nobody is happy when you lose somebody,” Wike said.
He revealed that one engineer linked to the project had already been arrested, adding that the developer would also be apprehended.
“So, the government is taking over here,” the Minister stated while referring to the collapsed structure.
Wike stressed that the protection of lives and property remains the primary responsibility of government, warning developers against bypassing official supervision and safety regulations during construction.
“Developers should allow the government to thoroughly supervise whatever construction is going on. What materials are they using? Are they doing the soil test?” he queried.
The Minister also faulted attempts by some individuals to politicize or trivialize enforcement actions taken by government agencies.
“Instead of them to really find out why government is taking that decision, some of these people will go to blackmail. But look at these lives. How can you buy back these lives? They are gone,” he said.
Providing preliminary findings from an integrity test conducted on the site, Wike explained that the structure collapsed due to underlying soil defects and hidden structural weaknesses.
According to him, consultant Mr. Emeko discovered that the land consisted largely of dredged waterways and contained a concealed local well filled with debris and clay that was not visible to the developer.
“The results indicated that this soil is made up of dredged waterways over the years. And there is a local well that is here filled up with debris and clay, which was not visible to the developer,” he explained.
The Minister further stated that structural columns were erected over the concealed pit, creating instability that eventually led to the collapse.
He added that the Department of Development Control had been directed to provide a detailed preliminary report on the incident as investigations continue.