By Daniel Tyokua
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has ordered an investigation into a three storey building that collapsed at Durumi 3, near Gudu Market in Abuja.
Wike gave the directive when he visited the site with other senior officials of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Monday.
The Minister also directed immediate sealing of the premises, and the arrest of the developer with the engineer.
He described the building collapse which claimed four lives and left several others injured as “very pathetic”
”From the report I got, we lost four persons. Nobody is happy when you lose somebody.
“The government is taking over this site. The Department of Development Control has sealed off the premises, and we are setting up an expert panel to really look at what happened,” he said.
The Minister issued a stern warning to developers who attempt to bypass government regulatory checks, reiterating that building policies exist to safeguard human lives, not to retard city development.
He questioned the quality of materials and the adequacy of foundational choices made during the construction.
”When you are constructing buildings of this nature, the lives of the people are very, very important.
“We must know the quality of materials. What does the soil test allow? Can it support two or three floors? Will it allow for piling or a raft foundation? All these are key,” Wike stressed.
The Minister also took a swipe at elements of the press and critics who accuse government officials of harassment when regulatory laws are enforced.
According to him: ”Sometimes when we come to a site like this, the press has not been kind to us. Instead of finding out why the government is taking action, some people resort to blackmailing government officials to look for money. But look at these lives.
“How can you buy back these lives? They are gone. It is the responsibility of government to protect life and property.”
Providing a technical breakdown of the incident, the Director of the Department of Development Control, Bashir Madaki , revealed that an independent integrity test conducted by a consultant, identified as Mr. Emeko, exposed critical underground anomalies that were completely hidden from developers.
Madaki said the soil at the site was composed of dredged waterways accumulated over years. Crucially, a historic local well, filled with loose debris and clay, lay directly beneath the construction footprint—unbeknownst to the development team.
”Column C and D were unfortunately placed directly on top of this hidden pit.
“The depth of the well was two meters, but the length of the columns was only 1.5 meters. That shortage and structural gap created the collapse,” Sanusi explained.
Defending his department’s oversight, Sanusi emphasized that regular soil tests and approvals had been obtained, showing no initial negative tendencies or variations.
“Before approval, there must be a soil test. My guys were here supervising every stage, from the foundation to the last floor. But if a local well is backfilled with debris and clay underground, development control volume tests will not detect that from the surface,” he added.
While the Department of Development Control has been mandated to conclude its preliminary investigation, the upcoming independent panel is expected to scrutinize the structural designs, soil test authenticity, and supervision logs to determine ultimate liability for the fatal collapse.
