A three storey building collapsed in Wuse Zone 4, Abuja, on Monday evening, hours after officials of the Federal Capital Territory Administration sealed the structure and directed occupants to vacate the premises.
Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant to FCT Minister Nyesom Wike on Public Communications and Social Media, confirmed the incident, saying the building collapsed at about 7 p.m. and that rescue operations were immediately launched.
Officials of the FCT Fire Service were deployed to the scene, while three ambulances were stationed nearby to provide emergency medical assistance. The FCT Police Command said it received a distress call at about 7:45 p.m. and dispatched officers to the location.
Personnel from the National Emergency Management Agency, Federal Road Safety Corps, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Federal Fire Service, security agencies and the FCTA also joined the search and rescue operation.
As of the initial reports, authorities had not confirmed any casualties. Emergency responders continued searching the debris to determine whether anyone was trapped inside the collapsed structure.
The incident has drawn particular attention because the FCTA Department of Development Control had earlier visited the property, sealed it and ordered occupants to leave after identifying safety concerns. Olayinka confirmed that the structure had been sealed earlier on Monday before it collapsed later in the evening.
The cause of the collapse had not been established as emergency operations continued. Authorities were also assessing the condition of surrounding structures and the broader safety situation in the area.
Police urged residents to remain calm, avoid the affected location and cooperate with emergency personnel to prevent obstruction of rescue efforts.
The collapse comes amid continuing concerns over building safety and enforcement of development regulations in Abuja. Building failures in the Federal Capital Territory have repeatedly raised questions about compliance with approved designs, construction standards, supervision and the enforcement of stop work or evacuation orders.
The fact that the Wuse structure was sealed before its collapse is likely to place renewed attention on how effectively enforcement agencies can ensure that occupants leave buildings declared unsafe and how quickly dangerous structures can be secured.
For Abuja, strengthening building inspection, enforcing development control measures and ensuring timely evacuation of unsafe structures remain important to reducing the risk of fatalities and property losses as the city continues to expand.
Rescue and assessment operations were ongoing as authorities worked to establish the full extent of the damage and determine whether there were any casualties.
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