The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered a full investigation into a building collapse in Abuja that claimed five lives and left several others injured over the weekend.
Wike also directed that the affected site be immediately sealed off.
The incident involved a three-storey building under construction that collapsed on Saturday morning in the Durumi 3 area, near Gudu Market, within the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Wike, who visited the scene on Monday, described the incident as deeply unfortunate and confirmed that enforcement actions had already begun, including arrests linked to the project.
He said preliminary reports indicated multiple fatalities, while several occupants were rescued from the rubble.
Authorities, he added, would move swiftly to establish how the structure failed and whether regulatory procedures were ignored.
“From the report I got, we lost five people and some lives were saved. It’s very pathetic. Nobody is happy when you lose somebody,” the minister said during his visit.
According to him, the Department of Development Control had already taken steps to seal off the property, while further enforcement measures were underway. He also confirmed that legal action had begun against those connected to the construction.
The minister noted, “The Department of Development Control has sealed off the premises. We are going to set up a panel to really look at what happened.
“One of the engineers has been arrested already. From there, we will get to the developer, and he or she will be arrested.”
Wike said the Federal Capital Territory Administration had taken charge of the investigation, with a panel expected to carry out a detailed review of the circumstances surrounding the collapse, alongside preliminary work by development control officials.
He also used the opportunity to caution developers against resisting or undermining regulatory oversight by federal authorities responsible for monitoring construction activities in the capital.
He warned that attempts to obstruct officials often led to misinformation and public misunderstanding of enforcement actions.
The minister stressed that strict adherence to building regulations, including proper soil testing and the use of approved materials, was essential to preventing avoidable disasters.
He questioned whether developers consistently followed technical requirements before embarking on construction, noting that such lapses often contribute to structural failures.
“In the construction of buildings, we must know the quality. What materials are they using? Are they doing the soil test? What is the result of the soil test? Can it allow for two floors or three floors? All these are very key,” he said.
Wike added that the primary responsibility of government remained the protection of lives and property, lamenting that the victims of the collapse could not be replaced.
“How can you buy back these lives? They are gone. That is the responsibility of government: to protect life and property,” he said.
