Panel starts probing Ikoyi building collapse that has killed 38 so far

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has inaugurated a six-member panel to investigate the collapse of a building in Ikoyi that has claimed at least 38 lives.

The 21-storey building, one of three luxury high rise buildings under construction, collapsed on Monday, November 1, 2021, trapping dozens of people.

Nine people have been found alive under the rubble, but 38 people have been brought out dead, as of afternoon on Thursday, November 4.

Governor Sanwo-Olu signed the instrument legitimising the composition of the panel during a brief ceremony on Thursday.

The panel has the liberty to summon any individual and organisation useful to the investigation.

President of Nigeria Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Toyin Ayinde, is the chairman of the panel, and Ekundayo Onajobi, a lawyer in a private law firm, is the Secretary.

Other members, all from the private sector, are Dr Akintilo Idris Adeleke, a structural engineer; Yinka Ogundairo, an architect; Godfrey O. Godfrey, a representative of Institute of Builders; and Bunmi Ibrahim, a real estate lawyer.

"The inauguration of this panel shows sincerely that the State Government is interested in unravelling and get to the root cause of what happened to the building, so that everyone concerned, including the Government, will learn from the very unfortunate incident.

"Lagosians and the world will be watching and waiting keenly, with the full expectation that the immediate and remote causes of this tragedy will be uncovered," Sanwo-Olu said.

Ayinde promised to carry out the important tasks of the panel with integrity, so as to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy.

"This exercise can only make the expected difference if we all agree to place value on Nigerian life," he said.

Search and rescue operation at the site of the collapse continued on Thursday, with many grieving family members still complaining about the recovery efforts, as hopes dwindle that more people will come out alive.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said at the inauguration ceremony he hopes the findings of the panel provides some sort of closure for those affected.