By Kazeem Ugbodaga
At least 36 incidents of building collapse were recorded in Lagos State in the past year, with 28 resulting in full collapses, according to Olugbenga Oyerinde, Lagos State Commissioner for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Relations.
Oyerinde disclosed this startling figure during the Annual Ministerial Press Briefing held on Wednesday at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, where he presented an overview of emergency trends handled by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) from May 2024 to March 31, 2025.
“In the Building Collapse Category alone, LASEMA recorded 36 cases,” he said.
“This includes 28 collapsed buildings, 3 impending collapses, 4 partially collapsed buildings, and one categorised as ‘other’,” he added.
The Commissioner stressed the urgent need for stronger enforcement of building regulations, especially in densely populated areas.
“These figures are not just numbers; they reflect the lives disrupted, the families displaced, and the safety challenges we must address decisively,” Oyerinde said.
In addition to structural collapses, other emergencies across the state paint a sobering picture. According to the Commissioner, the Explosion Category recorded 10 cases — nine from gas explosions and one from an unspecified source.
The Spillage and Leakage Category had seven incidents, made up of “3 gas leakages, 1 diesel tanker leakage, 2 pipeline/oil leakages, and 1 gas tanker leakage.”
On a more sombre note, Oyerinde revealed that the Medical Category logged 293 cases, including two suicides, three attempted suicides, nine cases of unidentified bodies, and 279 others.
“Mental health and emergency medical response are now firmly part of our evolving risk landscape,” he noted.
The commissioner also disclosed that the the Marine Category recorded six incidents — three cases of flooding and three capsized boats — while the Air/Train Crash Category saw four incidents comprising “three train accidents and one stuck airplane.”
“The “Other Events” category alone accounted for 152 cases. These included 142 various events, 1 power line case, 1 wind incident, 2 demolitions, and 6 assault cases,” he added.
A breakdown of emergencies by local government area shows that Alimosho LGA, known for its vast landmass and high population density, topped the list with 316 cases.
“Alimosho leads significantly with 316 out of the 2,022 emergency cases handled by LASEMA,” Oyerinde stated.
“Ikeja followed with 229 cases, while Eti-Osa recorded 208. Other high-incidence LGAs include Kosofe (165), Oshodi-Isolo (164), and Lagos Island (147),” he added.
“At the other end of the scale, Badagry recorded the lowest number of incidents with just 7 cases. While this reflects fewer emergencies, it also highlights the need for sustained vigilance and rapid response capacity across all LGAs,” he said.
He said truck and tanker-related incidents dominated emergency response efforts.
“The Truck/Tanker Category recorded the highest number of incidents — 595 in total. These included 411 truck accidents, 12 fallen containers, 148 broken-down trucks, 4 stuck truck/tankers, and 20 fallen tankers.
“Road accidents followed closely with 565 cases. We had 537 vehicle accidents, 25 broken-down vehicles, and 3 other unspecified cases,” he explained.
According to him, fire disasters came third with 354 incidents, of which 330 were fire outbreaks, nine were tanker/truck fires, and 15 were vehicular fires, including private cars and BRT buses.
Despite these challenges, Oyerinde said LASEMA’s operations remained robust and responsive across the state.
“Our comprehensive emergency management framework is not only reactive but increasingly proactive. We are leveraging technology, community-based engagement, and inter-agency coordination.”
He assured residents that the government would continue to prioritise safety and disaster resilience in every part of the state.
“We are committed to ensuring that every resident of Lagos can live and work without fear of unsafe infrastructure or delayed emergency response.”
