Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia

As authorities prepare to investigate the circumstances under which a three-storey building collapsed in Umuahia, Abia State, in the early hours of last Saturday, residents have called for a multidimensional approach in the investigation.

The call became pertinent following testimonies of residents of nearby buildings, who said they “heard a very loud sound like thunder” that preceded the collapse of the three-floor building opposite Road II, Low Cost Housing Estate.

A mother of two, Blessing Ugochukwu, and her children, eight-year-old Chiamaka Favour and six-month-old Great, miraculously survived the incident, as part of the building crashed onto the bungalow the family was leaving in.

The state government has said that a “thorough investigation” would be carried out to determine the cause of the building collapse, adding that the result would be made public.

The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, made this known yesterday at a media  briefing on the outcome of this week’s meeting of the State Executive Council(SEC) meeting.

He said that though “government approved the building,” the police have arrested the site engineer because there was need to ascertain if due diligence was followed in the construction process.

The General Manager of the Umuahia Capital Development Authority (UCDA), Mr. Kingsley Agomoh, said that while investigations were being carried out, the government has taken measures to forestall future collapse of buildings.

He said that the government would embark on “integrity test of every new and old buildings above two floors” in Umuahia to safeguard lives and property.

It was gathered that the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), Umuahia Area Office has sent technical team to the scene of the collapsed building, preparatory to investigation of the incident.

A cross-section of people in the Abia State capital city that spoke on the ugly incident, said that every possible factor that could have led to the building collapse, including sabotage.

An estate agent, Mazi Uchenwa Ahaoma, said that the manner the three-storey building collapsed suggested “a guided demolition” of building in a crowded area.

He said: “We have heard and seen pictures of collapsed buildings across Nigeria, but this one appears different. In this case, the building just crumbled flat without any wall, pillar or partition standing, not even a block.

“This is really suspicious, and I think the investigations should not just focus on technical issues like the strength of materials used in the construction of the building and structural defects. They should also look at the possibility that explosive substances could have been used to bring down the building.”

Corroborating this view, Chief Ezenwata Obioma, a businessman cum politician, said that nobody should rule out elements of sabotage in the whole incident. The fact that the affected building is said to be owned by the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), High Chief Ikechi Emenike, reinforces the conspiracy theory.

“If you’re a very top politician like Emenike, you’re bound to attract enemies and you never can tell what they are up to at any point in time,” he said, adding that “ some people can be mischievous to a dangerous and terrifying level in politics.”

However, Obioma expressed hope that Abia State politics has not “subtly become so toxic that jaw-dropping incidents could be creeping into the state ahead of the 2027 general election, which is not far away.”

A building consultant, who asked to remain anonymous, regretted that any time a building collapsed, the tendency was always to point fingers at builders, thereby foreclosing other factors that could be responsible.

“Those involved in such investigations should always put everything on the table in order to arrive at a conclusion that leaves no room for doubt,” he said.

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