Man seeks justice after hotel fence collapsed and killed his children

Damilare Famuyiwa 15:08 - 04 August 2023

Seven-year-old Abdulwahab and nine-year-old Roqeeb died on the spot.

Ahmed Atolagbe, a 45-year-old furniture, whose two sons were killed on July 22, 2023, when a portion of the fence of a hotel collapsed on their house in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, has sought justice for the deceased.

Ahmed Atolagbe, a 45-year-old carpenter, whose two sons were killed on July 22, 2023, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State, has sought justice for the deceased.

The Kwara State-born grieving father recalled that tragedy struck when the fence of a hotel collapsed on his three-room apartment located on Alao Street, Olainukan Bus Stop, Isawo in Ikorodu during a downpour.

According to the father of six, his two sons, seven-year-old Abdulwahab and nine-year-old Roqeeb, who were sleeping around the dining section of his sitting room at the time of the collapse, died on the spot.

Atolagbe further said that his first son was also injured while his wife, Omotola, lost consciousness following the impact of the tragedy that befell the family.

"I was already at my furniture workshop in Irawo when I received a distress call that I should return home to attend to a pressing issue.

"By the time I got home, I realised that the fence of a hotel beside my house had collapsed following the impact of the erosion coming from the hotel.

"The fence fell on my house, killing two of my sons. My eldest son was also injured. The incident was too much for my wife. She fainted and was rushed to the hospital," he added.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has appealed to Lagos State Government to investigate the matter and conduct an integrity test on the hotel building to forestall a recurrence.