Ketu Building Collapse: Landlord Still On The Run

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The landlord of a one-storey building that collapsed in Ketu area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, on Friday, killing at least two persons and injuring several others, is still on the run, P.M.NEWS gathered this morning from neighbours.

The embattled landlord, simply known as Mr. Marshall, is a native of Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria.

He fled his house located at 20, Doyin Omolulu Street, Ketu immediately after the tragic incident and no one has seen him since then.

Marshall was trying to transform a bungalow into a storey building without a proper foundation, using substandard material, it was gathered.

“He was telling the contractor what to do,” a neighbour told our correspondent this morning.

“Where he was to use five bags of cement, he told him to use three or four. Now that the house has collapsed and killed people, he has fled the area,” he added.

“At least thirty tenants lived there, “ he said.

In the wake of the incident, several houses have been marked for demolition around the area by the Lagos State government.

Meanwhile, following the havoc wreaked by last week’s rain across Lagos, the state government has marked for demolition several houses near the canal at Aina Ajobo Street, near the secretarial, Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of state.

When P.M.NEWS visited the area this morning, several houses marked with red ink with inscription like: PPD/AG/11/QUIT.

Some of the residents who spoke with our correspondents said the state government has given their landlords notice ahead of the demolition exercise.

Following another heavy rain yesterday, more houses in the area have collapsed. About four houses were seen this morning without roof tops. The roofs were said to have been blown off by the rainstorm. During the Sunday 10 July torrential rain in Lagos, a 13-year old boy, Yomi, a student of Stadium High School, Agege was killed around Unity Street, Off Aina Ajobo Street, when the house he lived in collapsed.

Several persons also lost their lives during the heavy rain.

—Ayodele Lawal & Simon Ateba

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