How we narrowly escaped death in Lagos building collapse – Shop owners

Nwabueze Kenneth Nwabueze recounted his harrowing experience of narrowly escaping death when a three-storey building collapsed in Alakija, Lagos. While grateful to be alive, he is mourning the loss of his apprentice, who died in the disaster, and the destruction of his business.

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Nobody is happy about what happened here because many lives were lost. The lives lost cannot be brought back, but the money and businesses that are gone can be replaced. It feels good to be alive even though I have lost my business to the incident. I thank God that I am alive.

Nwabueze explained that he had left his shop just minutes before the structure crumbled. He had been attending to a client and was on his way to deliver a job when he received a call informing him of the collapse. Upon returning, he found his secretary and apprentice trapped. While his secretary was rescued, his apprentice tragically lost his life.

He expressed deep sorrow over the death of his worker, whose parents were present at the scene. Nine people are confirmed to have died in the collapse. Nwabueze believes the tragedy could have been prevented if warning signs about the building's distressed state had been heeded and necessary actions taken.

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As God would have it, they were rescued, but my apprentice lost his life.

The shop owner detailed the significant losses, including machinery and his entire business, but emphasized that life is the most precious commodity. He is thankful for his survival, acknowledging that without it, his family would have been devastated. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by poorly maintained structures.

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Those people who died would not have lost their lives if the necessary things had been done.