UPDATE: Anambra govt seals Oba collapsed building, casualties still sketchy

The Anambra State Enforcement Team of the State Physical Planning Board has sealed the site of the collapsed five-storey building in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of the state.

Nigerian Tribune had earlier reported that the building, located near the palace of the traditional ruler of the town, which was said to be under construction, collapsed late on Thursday, with many people trapped.

The cause of the collapse was not stated, but eyewitnesses attributed it to the soft nature of the land.

The government team led by the Executive Chairman of the Board, Mr Chike Maduekwe, sealed the site on Friday and said an investigation into the cause of the collapse will commence immediately.

He added that the developer will be arrested and made to face the law.

The team also sealed off some sites at the Oba Airport whose structures did not have requisite government approvals.

The President, Umuogali village, Oba, Dr Kingsley Obasoanya, blamed the collapse on the incompetence of the workers as he observed that the job was awarded to quacks and promised to personally arrest the site engineer and hand them over to the relevant authorities for disciplinary measures.

Although, when contacted, the state police spokesman, Ikenga Tochukwu, said there was no casualty as the workers at the site had gone home before the incident happened.

He said, “Nobody was trapped neither was there any loss of life in the incident. The area has been cordoned off and our operatives are currently on the ground to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.”

But some eyewitnesses who spoke to Tribune Online, revealed that several of the workers were inside as of the time the building caved in while some said all the workers reported to duty this morning, thereby giving the assurance that there was nobody trapped under the rubbles.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…Anambra govt seals Oba  Anambra govt seals Oba

Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train

The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report…Anambra govt seals Oba  Anambra govt seals Oba