NEWS
UPDATED: Four rescued alive, One dead, others trapped in Abuja mall collapse
By Funmilayo Olusanya
Out of the five people who were rescued from a two-story building that fell in Kubwa Satellite town in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, one has been confirmed dead.
Biztellers had earlier reported that many were trapped and five were rescued after the collapse.
At the intersection of Gado Nasco Road and Hamza Abdullahi Street, the building that was under construction fell. Witnesses claim that the event took place on Thursday night about 11:30.
Five of the victims were rescued by a joint task force of operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Police Force, and some residents.
Officials of the National Emergency Management Agency are also at the location of the incident.
Shuaibu Abdullahi, the son of the victim who perished in the wreckage, was one of the casualties who had previously been rescued from the burning structure and treated at a general hospital.
Before his father’s body was discovered, Abdullahi told our journalist that his father was one of the two other people trapped in the structure.
He said, “I was rescued with the other four persons, but my dad who is a security man is still in the collapsed building and I sustained injuries.”
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Shuaibu said, “Two among the rescued are out of the hospital while three victims are still in the hospital. But we are suspecting that two people are trapped because it is development ongoing. So usually in a construction site like this, we cannot determine who and who are inside. As you can see here, we are making sure that all hands are on deck to rescue the trapped victims.
“Right now, our attention is securing lives. Whoever is responsible, we will know later. Usually, the developers on sites cut corners. At times, they do not do proper mixing. They sometimes use substandard materials.”
Also, the spokesperson to the FCT Minister, Mr Attah Ikharo, who spoke to our correspondent, noted that the FCT Administration has made efforts to rescue victims, especially the deceased, and the last person reportedly trapped in the building.
He said, “Work has been ongoing in an advanced state. I have been going around the issue of the collapsed building, and five persons have been rescued so far, and another male have been pulled out of the rubble but he seems to have been confirmed dead and have been taken to the morgue at the Kubwa general hospital.
“A search is still ongoing for the last male that some of the people claimed came into the place last night.”
One of the survivors, Hafeez Olayinka, told journalists that the building had fallen on Thursday night at around 11:30 p.m., but the survivors weren’t found until early today (Friday) and were then rushed to the hospital.
“At about 11:30 pm on Thursday, we noticed that the building was collapsing, and we tried to escape. But five of us were rescued this morning, and they took us to the hospital.”
Otunba Segun Showunmi, a member of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for 2027, has urged the South-East to assess President Bola Tinubu’s administration based on verifiable projects and measurable results rather than political propaganda.
Showunmi made the call in a statement posted on X on Saturday, urging Nigerians to evaluate the government’s performance based on infrastructure delivery, funds committed to projects and their impact on communities.
He said federal infrastructure initiatives targeting the South-East under Tinubu’s administration deserved serious scrutiny and factual assessment, adding that unfulfilled promises should continue to be pursued until the expected results were delivered.
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“Our message is clear: We will not trade facts for propaganda, nor accountability for political loyalty!” he said.
The political figure challenged critics of the administration to provide evidence to support their claims, while urging those defending the government to present the projects and demonstrate their impact.
He also called on government officials to publish relevant figures, disclose project timelines and provide measurable results, insisting that no public official should be exempt from scrutiny.
According to Showunmi, the South-East deserves infrastructure that supports economic growth, including roads that connect markets, investments that create jobs and policies that expand economic opportunities.
He maintained that political representation must translate into tangible benefits for citizens, stressing that public office should deliver value to the people.
As part of his call to action, Showunmi urged Nigerians to scrutinise government records, challenge misinformation with evidence and demand the completion of outstanding projects.
He further called for public commitments to be matched by measurable delivery, arguing that leadership should be assessed by facts and results rather than political rhetoric.
Ending his statement with the slogan, “Asiwaju is a goal,” Showunmi called for accountability and greater inclusion of the South-East in Nigeria’s development.
Showunmi is associated with The Alternative and is a member of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council for the 2027 elections.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Saturday announced a temporary road closure near Apostolic Church, inward Toll Gate, to allow engineers to install a beam on a height-restriction structure.
The agency said the installation was aimed at preventing high-rise trailers from accessing the newly constructed pedestrian bridge.
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“Currently, one lane has been occupied to facilitate the ongoing construction work, while the remaining two lanes are available to motorists,” LASTMA stated.
The agency advised road users to approach the affected corridor with caution and follow the directions of its personnel deployed to the area.
“Road users are advised to approach the affected corridor with caution and follow the directions of our personnel who are on ground to ensure the smooth flow of vehicular movement,” the statement added.
LASTMA also urged motorists to remain patient while the installation work continued.
“Motorists are encouraged to exercise patience while the installation work is in progress,” the agency stated.
Nigerian national Ekene Chukwuma has said he returned to Nigeria with assistance linked to Oseni Rufai rather than the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), while renewing allegations against the commission’s chairperson, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, over his travel documents.
Chukwuma made the remarks in an interview in which he explained how he returned to Nigeria after spending months at a deportation camp in India.
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“My name is Kenneth Chukwu, from Enugu State,” he said, introducing himself before explaining how he returned to the country.
“I came back here with the assist of Osini Roufai, a good friend of him,” he said.
Chukwuma denied that NiDCOM facilitated his return, alleging that the commission had published false information about his case.
“NiDCOM made a lots of false, uh, news acquisition against me, which is still in Abike Dabiri handle in Twitter,” he said.
He also accused Dabiri-Erewa of sharing his expired international passport and a travel certificate he claimed was issued six months after he entered the detention camp.
“He also, she also posted my international passport that expired. He also, she also posted my TC that issued after 6 months,” he said.
His comments renew questions surrounding the handling of his case and the circumstances under which he obtained the documents needed to return to Nigeria.
Chukwuma’s detention in India previously sparked a public disagreement between ARISE News presenter Oseni Rufai and Dabiri-Erewa over NiDCOM’s response to reports of his situation.
Oseni raised concerns about Chukwuma’s detention and the commission’s handling of the case, while Dabiri-Erewa defended NiDCOM’s position and explained the process for submitting information to the commission.
NiDCOM subsequently issued its account of Chukwuma’s detention, stating that he had been arrested in India over a visa overstay and addressing the circumstances surrounding his travel documents.
The differing accounts prompted public debate about the commission’s response to Nigerians facing immigration difficulties abroad.
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