The death toll of the collapsed 21-storey building in the Ikoyi axis of Lagos State on Monday has increased to 14.
Gbenga Omotoso, the state Commissioner for Information, made this known in a statement.
According to the state government, a total of nine were rescued alive in the ongoing search and rescue operation.
“Nine persons – all men – have been pulled out of the rubble alive. They have been taken to the hospital. Unfortunately, 14 others were brought out dead – as at 2pm.
“More equipment and personnel have been deployed to the site to save more lives. A help desk has been set up”, Omotoso said.
The statement also announced that Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos State, has suspended the General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), Gbolahan Oki, over the incident.
Governor Sanwo-Olu also ordered a probe of the incident following reports that the developer, Fourscore Heights Limited, ignored the permit issued to the company to develop a 15-storey building and instead went ahead to develop a 21-storey building.
Members of the probe panel, the statement said, will be drawn from the Nigeria Institute of Architects (NIA), Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and other professional bodies.
Sanwo-Olu vowed that the government will find out what went wrong and punish those indicted.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, arrived in Lagos and visited the scene of the collapsed building.
