Residents of Sabo area in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state, were gripped with fear on Sunday, July 14, when an abandoned building, allegedly used by hoodlums, collapsed. The incident occurred around 7:30 am, trapping five people inside the rubble.
The uncompleted, abandoned storey building had been known as a haven for cultists and hoodlums. A local source named Tunde described it as a den for various bad actors, noting that security operatives had raided the building multiple times before its collapse.
“As I am talking to you, security operatives with rescue teams have arrived at the scene. They have brought a crane machine to the scene and have rescued three people from the rubble,” Tunde reported.
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Kehinde Adeleke, the spokesperson for the Nigerian Security Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), Osun State Command, confirmed the collapse. She referenced a prior report dated June 10, 2024, which highlighted the dangers posed by the building.
“Subsequent to our earlier report dated June 10, 2024, in which we reported on an uncompleted building used as a residence by hoodlums near AUD Primary School, Sabo Elegun, the said building collapsed at about 07:30 hrs today, Sunday, July 14, 2024, entrapping five people,” Adeleke stated.
She added that two people had been rescued so far, while the remaining three were still trapped under the decking that required the use of a crane for safe removal. “While we await the crane, people are doing all they can within their physical human capacity to break the decking and connected rods,” she said.
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Local government officials, including the LGA chairman, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the Police Commissioner, and other dignitaries, have arrived at the scene to oversee rescue operations.
The incident has heightened concerns among residents about the safety of abandoned buildings in the area and the need for stricter enforcement of building regulations. The rescue operation is ongoing as authorities work to free the remaining trapped individuals and ensure such a tragedy does not occur again.
